Johnny Sexton benched as James Ryan and Iain Henderson return for Leinster-Ulster PRO14 final

Ross Byrne comes onto the pitch to replace his Leinster team-mate Jonathan Sexton during the Guinness PRO14 Round 14 match between Leinster and Munster at the Aviva Stadium. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

There were plenty of surprises in Friday’s team announcements as Leinster and Ulster recalled James Ryan and Iain Henderson respectively after injury and placed other big guns on their benches for Saturday night’s Guinness PRO14 final at Aviva Stadium.

Leinster boss Leo Cullen has given a first start since the resumption of rugby post-lockdown to Ryan following a medical procedure on a shoulder during the summer as the province bids to complete its 2019-20 PRO14 season unbeaten and claim their third title in a row.