Kidney brings in big guns

Coach Declan Kidney has made no fewer than eight changes to the Leinster side for Friday night’s home tie with The Borders (7.30pm).

Suddenly, the season looks full of possibilities for unbeaten Leinster as Argentina’s Felipe Contepomi and Ireland’s Guy Easterby, Denis Hickie, Victor Costello and Eric Miller and England A prop Ricky Nebbett all get their first full starts of the season.

Flanker Ciaran Potts and hooker David Blaney will also lineout as Des Dillon moves forward to the second row with captain Leo Cullen.

John McWeeney has been ruled out with a hamstring strain.

James Norton will move to the wing and allow Hickie in at full back, where he made such an impression as an early replacement last Saturday.

There have been two places left unfilled on the bench and Kidney will confirm the identity of those players closer to the game.

Leinster (v The Borders): D Hickie; J Norton, C Warner, F Contepomi, G Brown; B O’Meara, G Easterby; R Nebbett, D Blaney, E Byrne, L Cullen (Capt), D Dillon, E Miller, C Potts, V Costello. Replacements: P Coyle, S Byrne, B Gissing, A McCullen, A N Other, K Lewis, A N Other.