Champions Cup: Frawley gets Leinster out-half nod, Carty to make 200th Connacht appearance
PLAYMAKER: Ciarán Frawley during a Leinster Rugby squad training session at UCD in Dublin. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has handed Ciarán Frawley the out-half reins for the province's Champions Cup bout with Sale Sharks at the RDS on Saturday evening.
It is Frawley's first start at out-half in European competition, having come off the bench - replacing the injured Harry Byrne - to make a big impact against La Rochelle last Sunday.
Garry Ringrose and James Ryan co-captain the team once more, as Thomas Clarkson makes his European debut, having been part of the matchday squad last weekend.
The back three is unchanged from last weekend’s win at Stade Marcel Deflandre.
Hugo Keenan starts at full-back, with try-scorer Jordan Larmour and Jimmy O’Brien named on the wings.
In the midfield, Ringrose is set to make his 50th European appearance. Robbie Henshaw, Frawley, and Jamison Gibson-Park round out the backline.
Debutant Clarkson lines up in the front row with seasoned campaigners Andrew Porter and Dan Sheehan, while South African lock Jason Jenkins starts in the engine room this weekend, where he is partnered by Ryan.
Josh van der Flier comes into the back row in the final change to the pack, where he joins Ryan Baird and Caelan Doris.
Meanwhile, Connacht club captain Jack Carty will make his 200th appearance for the province in their clash with English Premiership outfit Saracens on Saturday afternoon.
Head coach Pete Wilkins has named Carty - who will follow John Muldoon, Michael Swift, Denis Buckley, Kieran Marmion and Tiernan O’Halloran into the 200 club - to start in place of JJ Hanrahan. Carty will form a familiar pairing with Caolin Blade in the half-backs.
Also named are Shayne Bolton, who makes his first appearance of the campaign, and Gavin Thornbury, who returns exactly one year to the day after suffering a knee injury against Brive last season.
Props Jack Aungier and Jordan Duggan, flanker Conor Oliver, number eight Paul Boyle, centre Tom Farrell, and full-back John Porch also come into the starting lineup from the heavy loss to Bordeaux Begles last time out.
Ahead of the meeting with the English giants, head coach Wilkins said: “As players and coaches we were very blunt in our review of last weekend, with honesty and ownership about how the game got away from us.
"The reaction from the group in training this week has been excellent and we look forward to getting out there and delivering a performance befitting of our ambitions this season.
"Saracens are a world-class outfit with a fine European pedigree, so there’s no better place to challenge ourselves and show what we’re about.”
Elsewhere, Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has named his side to take on French powerhouses Racing 92 in Belfast.
Iain Henderson leads the province and is accompanied in the second row by fellow veteran Alan O'Connor.
World Cup-winner Steven Kitshoff is set to run out for his first home game in Europe on Saturday, where he will take on his international captain and colleague Siya Kolisi.
Kitshoff is joined in the front row by Tom O'Toole, who keeps his position as tighthead prop, and Rob Herring, who is recalled to the starting lineup at hooker.
Dave Ewers continues at blindside flanker, with Nick Timoney lining up in the seven jersey, while Matty Rea gets the nod at eight to complete the back-row.
Experienced pair Billy Burns and John Cooney form the half-back axis.
Rob Baloucoune and Jacob Stockdale continue to occupy the left and right wings, respectively.
The centre duo of Stuart McCloskey and James Hume continue, while injury returnee Mike Lowry starts at full-back.
H Keenan; J Larmour, G Ringrose (co-capt), R Henshaw, J O'Brien; C Frawley, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Clarkson; J Jenkins, J Ryan (co-capt); R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris.
R Kelleher, C Healy, M Ala'alatoa, J McCarthy, J Conan, B Murphy, S Prendergast, C Ngatai.
J Porch; B Ralston, T Farrell, B Aki, S Bolton; J Carty, C Blade; J Duggan, D Heffernan, J Aungier; D Murray, G Thornbury; C Prendergast, C Oliver, P Boyle.
D Tierney-Martin, D Buckley, F Bealham, J Joyce, J Butler, M McDonald, JJ Hanrahan, D Kilgallen.
M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor, I Henderson (C); D Ewers, N Timoney, M Rea.
T Stewart, E O’Sullivan, M Moore, K Treadwell, H Sheridan, N Doak, J Flannery, S Moore.
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