Leinster’s young guns up for battle

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Typical of weeks when the team is decimated by international duty, the Leinster starting XV features three players from the academy side. In an early rehearsal for Declan Kidney’s gambit of throwing an inexperienced out-half into the fray, Joe Schmidt has given 22-year-old Clontarf number 10 Noel Reid the nod ahead of Ian Madigan.

Fergus McFadden joins Madigan in the dugout after being released from Ireland camp following training yesterday as Leinster field an inexperienced side, led by Leo Cullen. Shane Jennings returns after missing last weekend’s win and features in the back-row alongside Jordi Murphy and Dominic Ryan.