Having missed out on Friday night’s win over Cardiff Blues, Leinster’s Heinke van der Merwe and Fionn Carr look set to return to the squad this week - but Isa Nacewa is facing more time on the sidelines.

With so many players wrapped up in international duty, Leo Cullen will skipper a new-look Leinster team as they take on Cardiff Blues in tomorrow night's RaboDirect PRO12 clash in Cardiff Arms Park (7.30pm).

With Leinster forced to cope without a host of internationals during the RBS Six Nations, young trio David Kearney, Eoin O’Malley and Dominic Ryan have made a timely return to training.

Familiar stars will be missing as Leinster head into another high risk RaboDirect Pro12 encounter against Connacht at the RDS this evening.

Shane Jennings will skipper Leinster against Connacht with head coach Joe Schmidt relegating regular captain Leo Cullen to the bench for tomorrow's RaboDirect PRO12 clash in the RDS (7.45pm).

It is just over six months since Leinster dealt so ruthlessly with an emerging Ulster side at Twickenham but the shift in the axis of power has been leaning ever further up the M1 this season.

There’s been a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth since the Irish whitewash in Europe over the weekend but it is about time people start to realise that we have no divine right to be winning Heineken Cups with the regularity we’ve enjoyed in recent times.

Leinster 21 Clermont Auvergne 28

With three-quarters of the Irish Heineken Cup contingent occupying second place in their pools entering the second week of the crucial back-to-back fixtures, Penney, Schmidt and Elwood will be aware that this weekend could make or break their European season.

The decision to start Heinke van der Merwe over Cian Healy represents one of four changes Joe Schmidt has made to his team for the return Heineken Cup game against Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (3.40pm).

Yesterday’s Leinster press conference was up and running for nearly 10 minutes before Joe Schmidt felt obliged to remind everyone that the province had a Heineken Cup game against Clermont Auvergne to play at the weekend.

Mike Ross is confident his contract talks with the IRFU will result in a deal that keeps him at Leinster well beyond next summer when his current deal is due to expire.

No matter what way Joe Schmidt and the other three provincial coaches look at it, this is one of those weeks where there is no right or wrong when it comes to the troublesome business of team selection.

Leinster welcome back a number of players from international duty as the face Zebre in Saturday evening's RaboDirect PRO12 clash in the RDS (6pm).

Heinke van der Merwe returned from international duty earlier this week keen to add to his list of caps with South Africa but first priority for the Springbok will be finding a spot in Leinster’s front row.

Leinster second-row Quinn Roux is facing a lengthy rehabilitation process after the province’s medical team confirmed the South African dislocated his shoulder against Glasgow Warriors at the weekend.

Sean O'Brien will make his first appearance of the season when he lines out at no 8 for Leinster’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with the Glasgow Warriors in Scotstoun on Friday night (7.35pm).

Michael Bent knew his place in the Ireland squad was a bone of contention before he even touched down in the country of his ancestors.

South Africa prop Tendai Mtawarira was treated in hospital today after suffering mild heart palpitations.

South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer has entrusted 22-year-old Pat Lambie with flyhalf responsibilities for Saturday’s meeting with Ireland in the Aviva Stadium (5.30pm).

The quality of rugby in the opening rounds of the Heineken Cup hasn’t been superb but that will be corrected with December’s pivotal back-to-back contests.

There are four Irish coaches responsible for the fortunes of non-Irish teams in this season’s Heineken Cup and, by a quirk of fate, three of them will be plotting the downfall of Irish teams in round two this weekend.

Aside from a few cuts and bruises, the Leinster medical team have reported no new injuries ahead of Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash with the Scarlets in Wales (1.35pm).

Leinster 9 Exeter Chiefs 6

The spectre of European rugby looms large as ever as Leinster meet Munster for the first time this season but there is plenty of incentive in both camps for a positive outcome tonight to put right chastening recent RaboDirect Pro12 form.

Joe Schmidt has made 11 changes for tomorrow night’s RaboDirect PRO12 interprovincial meeting with Munster at the Aviva Stadium (6.30pm) as he welcomes back Brian O’Driscoll.

Ireland international Rob Kearney has been named in Leinster’s starting XV to face Connacht in Friday night's RaboDirect PRO12 interprovincial derby in the Sportsground (8pm).

Jamie Heaslip, Brian O’Driscoll and Jonathan Sexton are among the Irish internationals returning to Leinster’s starting XV to face Benetton Treviso in Saturday night's RaboDirect PRO12 clash in the Stadio di Monigo (6.05pm).

Leinster’s new overseas signing, Quinn Roux, will make his home debut when the Heineken Cup champions take on Newport Gwent Dragons in tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash at the RDS.

Second row Quinn Roux and academy back-row forward Ben Marshall will make their home debuts for Leinster after been named in Joe Schmidt’s starting XV for Saturday evening's RaboDirect PRO12 encounter with the Dragons in the RDS (6.15pm).

Having conquered Europe for the third time in four years, Leinster Head Coach Joe Schmidt was understandably disappointed his team couldn’t pull off the elusive league and European cup double as they lost 30-31 to the Ospreys in the RaboDirect PRO12 final yesterday.

After the heroics of Twickenham last weekend, Leinster returned to base camp at the RDS yesterday for the coronation.

Leinster were left to rue a golden opportunity for double glory for the second year in-a-row when they lost the RaboDirect Pro12 plot in sight of the victory podium at the RDS yesterday.

Leinster 30 Ospreys 31

The Ospreys will aim to halt Leinster’s bid for a European and domestic double in its tracks on Sunday when they contest the RaboDirect PRO12 final.

Leinster flanker Seán O’Brien, who scooped the man of the match award in last weekend’s Heineken Cup final, has been ruled out of the province’s RaboDirect PRO12 final clash against the Ospreys in the RDS on Sunday (4pm) due to a knee injury.

“Leinster’s first two tries from Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy stemmed directly from lost ball after an Ulster put-in”

Rory Best has urged Ulster to use the pain of a crushing Heineken Cup final defeat as motivation for next season's tournament.

Brian O'Driscoll hailed the creation of a Heineken Cup dynasty after Leinster's record-breaking 42-14 victory over Ulster in tonight's all-Irish final.

Leinster 42 Ulster 14

Brian O’Driscoll believes Leinster are building a dynasty after they won a record-breaking third Heineken Cup title in four years when they beat Ulster 42-14 in the all-Ireland final at Twickenham this afternoon.

With top seed secured ahead of next weekend's PRO12 play off in the RDS, there is a fresh look to the Leinster team to face the Newport Gwent Dragons in Saturday night's clash in Rodney Parade (7.30pm).

Good times for Leinster on and off the pitch.

Leinster have today announces details of 18 contract extensions and two new signings.