Edinburgh v Leinster, Meggetland (Friday 7.35, live on TG4)
Friday night will represent a milestone for St Michael’s College as seven of their former pupils are included in the squad for Leo Cullen’s first Guinness Pro12 fixture as Leinster head coach.
Centre Noel Reid, outhalf Cathal Marsh, scrumhalf Luke McGrath and flanker Dan Leavy are named in the starting team while prop Royce Burke Flynn, secondrow Ross Molony and outhalf Ross Byrne are named among the replacements.
Cullen welcomes back Reid, Fergus McFadden, Isaac Boss, Jack Conan and Michael Bent, while Kevin McLaughlin will captain the team from blindside flanker, a little over eight months after his last appearance for the province.
Burke Flynn, Byrne and his fellow Ireland under-20 international Garry Ringrose, are all set to make their Leinster senior debuts if introduced from the bench.
Their hosts Edinburgh have moved the match to the smaller setting of Meggetland because Murrayfield is being prepared for a Foo Fighters gig. The home side is missing nine players because of World Cup commitments, eight Scots and Tongan Will Helu but there are still some familiar names in Jack Cuthbert, Dougie Fife, John Andress and Roddy Grant.
Despite Leinster being shorn of so many front-line players they still possess enough depth of quality to beat an Edinburgh side that won pre-season friendlies against Ulster and Romania.
Leinster: I Nacewa; F McFadden, B Te'o, N Reid, D Fanning; C Marsh, L McGrath; M Bent, A Dundon, J Hagan; T Denton, M McCarthy; K McLaughlin (capt), D Leavy, J Conan. Replacements: B Byrne, P Dooley, R Burke-Flynn, R Molony, D Ryan, I Boss, R Byrne, G Ringrose.
Edinburgh: J Cuthbert, D Fife, C Dean, S Beard, D Hoyland; P Burleigh, N Fowles; R Sutherland, N Cochrane, J Andress; A Bresler; B Toolis; C Du Preez, R Grant (capt), N Manu. Replacements: G Turner, A Dell, S Berghan, F McKenzie, H Watson, S Kennedy, G Tonks, J Johnstone
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
