O’Driscoll misses out on Leinster team

Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll has been omitted from what is otherwise a first-choice Leinster team to face Munster in the RaboDirect PRO 12 at the Aviva Stadium (8pm).

The influential centre, after further testing, has been given an extra week to recover from the ‘stinger’ he suffered during the World Cup.

Leo Cullen leads a Leinster team which includes 13 Ireland internationals for the visit of Munster.

Centre Gordon D’Arcy is one of five players – including the back-row trio of Jamie Heaslip, Shane Jennings and Sean O’Brien as well as prop Cian Healy – to make their seasonal debuts for the province after their involvement in the Rugby World Cup.

Isaac Boss again partners Jonathan Sexton at half back, with D’Arcy linking up with Fergus McFadden at centre, with Isa Nacewa returning to the wing after being rested last week.

Up front, Healy joins Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross in the front row with skipper Cullen starting at second row alongside Devin Toner.

The likes of Sean Cronin, Kevin McLaughlin, Eoin Reddan and Rhys Ruddock are included on the Leinster replacements bench for the game which is already set to be played in front of over 46,000 supporters and counting, making it the third largest attendance in league history.

Leinster: R Kearney; I Nacewa, F McFadden, G D’Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen, D Toner; S O’Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: S Cronin, H van der Merwe, J Hagan, K McLaughlin, R Ruddock, E Reddan, I Madigan, E O’Malley.