Leinster didn’t even need to send out their first team to do this damage — Cullen made 13 changes to the side that hammered Northampton Saints last week in the Champions Cup

‘Tis the season for Christmas jumpers, blue Santa hats, and Leinster at the Aviva.

For Leinster this week it will be a case of out with the new and in with the old. More or less, anyway.

Leinster should have centre Joe Tomane available for selection once again, as their pool-defining double-header with Northampton Saints approaches in the next fortnight.

The World Cup may be long over, but the ripple effect is set to spill into the upcoming bout of festive PRO14 fixtures with a larger-than-usual

There are three changes to the team that defeated Ospreys.

Leinster maintained their 100% start to the Guinness PRO14 season in a game of two halves at a blustery RDS.

Leo Cullen has braced his players for an altogether more challenging Friday night at the RDS tonight (kick-off 7.35pm), a week on from their eight-try hammering of Ospreys.

Leinster are calling this block of Guinness PRO14 games ‘Own the Jersey’ – and Caelan Doris intends to do so with the No 8 shirt.

The full-back's contract expires in November after the Rugby World Cup.

Both Leinster and Ulster have named their teams ahead of their clash tomorrow at the Kingspan stadium.

Sean O'Brien starts at openside flanker and will captain the side.

Some of their frontline players may have their feet up this weekend, but for those Leinster players in the RDS tonight, there’s a priceless opportunity to top up their credit with coach Leo Cullen.

Leo Cullen has named his team for Leinster's PRO14 clash with Benetton at the RDS Arena tomorrow night.

Edinburgh remain in the running for a Guinness PRO14 play-off spot after posting a comfortable 28-11 win over defending champions Leinster at BT Murrayfield.

Ultan Dillane, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty and Tom Farrell will line-out for Connacht after their Ireland call-ups.

Scarlets held on to win an intense, hard-fought Guinness PRO14 clash against champions Leinster at Parc y Scarlets.

Robbie Henshaw, Jordan Larmour and Devin Toner are back in the Leinster team for tomorrow's Pro14 match against the Scarlets in Wales.

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock described Kenedy's stoppage-time penalty miss for Newcastle as "poetic justice" after the Brazilian had escaped a possible first-half red card in the 0-0 draw.

It's back!

The fee has not been disclosed but is thought to be in the region of £4million.

Keith Earls, named by his peers last night as Zurich’s Irish player of the year, is aiming to cap a memorable season by accounting for Leinster’s European champions and claiming a first trophy for Munster since 2011.

Twelve Ireland internationals are among the 21 Leinster players who have signed new contracts for next season.

Leinster 41 Zebre 6: Leo Cullen expects to his Leinster side to be a tougher proposition next weekend – despite hammering Zebre 41-6.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has continued his remarkable goal-scoring form for Fulham.

With two man of the match awards to his credit in the RBS Six Nations U20 campaign, Jack O’Sullivan now makes the cut with Munster A for today’s B&I Cup quarter-final against Leinster at Donnybrook.

If Leinster could be forgiven for straining one eye forward to next week’s appointment with Saracens, then their hosts today will bring a one-track mind to proceedings as they seek to rescue their season.

Irish players also scored for QPR and Sheffield United.

O'Brien has been out for three months after surgery on a hip injury.

It has been a hard road for Southern Kings, the whipping boys of the Guinness PRO14, and things are unlikely to get easier for the South Africans at the RDS tonight.

A game badly compromised by the absence of almost two dozen Six Nations stars was rescued by another star turn from Leinster’s James Lowe who continued to entertain long after the final whistle on Saturday afternoon.

Today seemed to be tailor-made for Joey Carbery.

Leinster 38 Ulster 7: The numbers look good for Leinster, regardless of how you add them up.

Apologies if the focus on Leinster’s strength in depth is beginning to wear thin but it is a theme that is impossible to ignore given the side Leo Cullen named yesterday.

Leinster Head Coach Leo Cullen has handed a first start to Josh Murphy in tonight’s Guinness PRO14 clash with the Dragons at the RDS Arena (7.35pm).

South African flanker Chris Cloete makes his debut in Munster's Pro 14 meeting with Bernard Jackman's Dragons tonight.

There was some degree of befuddlement in UCD earlier this week when Ross Byrne and Ross Molony found themselves being quizzed on the possibility of featuring in a Rugby World Cup in Ireland in 2023.

Meanwhile, Leinster have made nine changes for their trip to Glasgow.

Teenage striker Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to score twice on his home debut and send Arsenal into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Norwich last night.

Arsenal 2 - Norwich 1 (aet):: Teenage striker Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to score twice on his home debut and send Arsenal into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Norwich.

Bristol City upset Premier League Watford to reach the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-2 victory at Vicarage Road.

It’s been 21 years but the names of Pat Whelan and Seamus Harty aren’t far from Trevor Hogan’s lips when the conversation strays back to the 16-year old kid who wandered into the Nenagh Ormond club at the onset of his rugby journey.

Brighton stormed back to the top of the Sky Bet Championship table with a 4-1 victory over struggling Burton.

Omar Bogle scored a brilliant brace on his full Wigan debut to earn his side a 2-2 draw against Norwich in the Sky Bet Championship.