Leinster recall Brian O’Driscoll and Darragh Fanning

Province makes just two changes for Pro12 clash wtih Treviso at the RDS

Brian O’Driscoll returns to  the Leinster starting XV to face Treviso at the RDS. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/ Inpho
Brian O’Driscoll returns to the Leinster starting XV to face Treviso at the RDS. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/ Inpho

Leinster have made two changes to the side that lost to Ospreys last week ahead of Friday afternoon's RaboDirect Pro12 meeting with Treviso at the RDS (5pm).

Brian O'Driscoll returns to the side in place of Gordon D'Arcy with Noel Reid retained at inside centre after the 25-19 loss at Liberty Stadium.

The other change comes on the wing where Dave Kearney makes way for Darragh Fanning, while there is again no place in the squad for Luke Fitzgerald, whose struggles with an abductor muscle strain continue.

Otherwise it's as you were for Matt O'Connor's side, with Jimmy Gopperth and Isaac Boss the halfback combination and an unchanged pack.

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“The Ospreys match was an opportunity for us to put pressure on the rest of the top four and we didn’t,” said Leinster forwards’ coach Jono Gibbes today.

“It’s a good thing that we can narrow our focus and concentrate on the specifics of the (Treviso) game; stopping (Roberto) Barbieri on the gain-line. We have to make sure we don’t put them in good lineout positions with our discipline. I think being back home (at the RDS) is going to be a real shot in the arm.”

Leinster (v Treviso): R Kearney; Z Kirchner, B O'Driscoll, N Reid, D Fanning; J Gopperth, I Boss; C Healy, S Cronin, M Moore; D Toner, M McCarthy; R Ruddock, J Murphy, J Heaslip

Replacements: R Strauss, J McGrath, M Bent, T Denton, D Ryan, L McGrath, I Madigan, B Macken

Benetton Treviso: LMcLean; LNitoglia, M Campagnaro, C Loamanu, A Esposito; M Berquist, T Botes; M Muccignat, L Ghiraldini (capt), L Cittadini; M Fuser, V Bernabo; M Filipucci, P Derbyshire, R Barbieri.

Replacements: G Maistri, I Fernandez-Rouyet, P di Santo, A Pavanello, D Budd, F Semenzato, J Ambrosini, B Williams.