Heaslip to lead Leinster

Jamie Heaslip will captain the Leinster team to face Munster in Saturday night's RaboDirect PRO12 encounter in Thomond Park (7.30pm).

The Naas number eight also forms part of an all Irish back-row alongside Shane Jennings and Kevin McLaughlin.

Brad Thorn locks down alongside Devin Toner while up front Heinke van der Merwe is named in the front row alongside Sean Cronin and Mike Ross

Gordon D'Arcy will become only the second Leinster player in history (behind Shane Horgan) to reach the 200 cap landmark when the Wexford man lines up in Limerick on Saturday.

D'Arcy, 32, made his provincial debut away to Edinburgh in September 1998 and to date he has scored 306 points in Leinster colours (55 tries, 5 penalties, 4 drop goals, 2 conversions) over 14 seasons.

D'Arcy will link up at centre with Brian O'Driscoll who successfully came through his first appearance of the season against the Ospreys last weekend.

Luke Fitzgerald becomes the province's 18th player to reach the 100-cap mark and he forms a back three alongside Isa Nacewa (who makes his 96th appearance) and the returning Rob Kearney, with Eoin Reddan partnering Jonathan Sexton at half back.

Leo Cullen, Cian Healy and Sean O'Brien are named amongst the replacements.

LEINSTER (v Munster): R Kearney; I Nacewa, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; H van der Merwe, S Cronin, M Ross; B Thorn, D Toner; K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip (c).

Replacements: R Strauss, C Healy, J Hagan, L Cullen, S O’Brien, I Boss, I Madigan, F McFadden.