Johnny Sexton returns as Leinster wheel out the big guns for the Bulls

Head coach Leo Cullen has opted for a glittering line-up as the province prepares to stare down the pick of the newly-arrived South African franchises

Johnny Sexton will start his first competitive game for the province since the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final win over Exeter Chiefs last April but he is only one among a galaxy of billboard names due to be on duty. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Leo Cullen has revealed a star-studded line-up for Leinster’s United Rugby Championship (URC) opener against the Vodacom Bulls which is expected to attract a crowd of 20,000 to the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

The reigning, and last, PRO14 champions clearly mean business as they face the best of the South African provinces. The Bulls are missing some key players due to Springbok duties for their first-ever URC fixture, but they are nonetheless the recently-crowned Currie Cup kingpins.