Johnny Sexton on the bench as Leo Cullen names team for Champions Cup opener

Jonathan Sexton of Leinster has been named on the bench for the province's Heineken Champions Cup opener this weekend. Picture:  Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has handed starts to five of his returning Irish stars for Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup at Montpellier and packed his bench with several more internationals for the trip to the south of France.

Hugo Keenan, Robbie Henshaw, Ross Byrne, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris all go straight into the four-time European champions’ starting line-up while Cullen has named club captain Johnny Sexton, Jamison Gibson-Park, James Ryan, Andrew Porter, Cian Healy and Ronan Kelleher among his replacements.