Cullen to make first start of season

Leo Cullen will make his first start of the season for Leinster against Connacht in the Magner’s League at The Sportsground tomorrow evening.

However, Jamie Heaslip retains the captaincy in a side showing four changes from that which beat Saracens in the Heineken Cup.

Isaac Boss gets the nod over Eoin Reddan at scrum-half. Cullen pushes Nathan Hines down to the bench. Young guns Fergus McFadden and Eoin O’Malley will play in the centre for the injured Brian O’Driscoll and the benched Gordon D’Arcy.

LEINSTER (v Connacht): R Kearney; S Horgan, E O’Malley, F McFadden, I Nacewa; J Sexton, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen, D Toner, S O’Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip (capt).

REPLACEMENTS: J Harris-Wright, H van der Merwe, S Shawe, N Hines, D Ryan; E Reddan, G D’Arcy, A Conway.