Carbery misses out through injury as Cullen makes two changes for return fixture with Northampton

Joey Carbery will miss this weekend's vital Champions Cup match with Northampton after sustaining a hamstring injury in the reverse fixture last weekend, meaning UCD outhalf Ross Byrne makes his first start in European competition having impressed from the bench last time out.

Athy RFC clubman Carbery is set to be out for up to eight weeks as he undergoes surgery, putting his prospects of featuring for Ireland in the Six Nations in serious jeopardy.

Leo Cullen is also without full-back Rob Kearney who is also injured, and he is replaced by South African Zane Kirchner.

Otherwise it is the same starting XV that accounted for Saints in Franklin’s Gardens last Friday with Kill native Adam Byrne and Isa Nacewa the other two in the Leinster back three along with Kirchner. Nacewa captains the side on the occasion of his 160th appearance in blue and will go past the 600 point mark for the club should he score four points or more tomorrow in the Aviva Stadium.

Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw continue in the centre with UCD players Luke McGrath and Ross Byrne in the half backs.

The experienced international trio of Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin and last week’s Heineken Man of the Match Tadhg Furlong continue in the front row. Together they have 103 Irish caps between them.

Devin Toner who made his 50th European appearance last week continues in the second row with former Maori All Black Hayden Triggs beside him in the number five jersey.

Finally in the back row, Sean O’Brien, Josh van der Flier and Jamie Heaslip complete the starting XV for Leinster.

On the bench Noel Reid makes a welcome return from a foot injury sustained in the win against the Dragons in the RDS a few weeks ago.

Tickets for the game at the Aviva Stadium are still available and can be purchased here.

LEINSTER: (Leinster caps in brackets) 

15. Zane Kirchner (74) 14. Adam Byrne (9) 13. Garry Ringrose (30) 12. Robbie Henshaw (4) 11. Isa Nacewa CAPTAIN (159) 10. Ross Byrne (8) 9. Luke McGrath (60) 1. Jack McGrath (102) 2. Sean Cronin (122) 3. Tadhg Furlong (57) 4. Devin Toner (188) 5. Hayden Triggs (19) 6. Sean O’Brien (106) 7. Josh van der Flier (33) 8. Jamie Heaslip (224)

16. James Tracy (28) 17. Cian Healy (162) 18. Michael Bent (71) 19. Rhys Ruddock (120) 20. Jack Conan (36) 21. Jamison Gibson-Park (12) 22. Noel Reid (70) 23. Rory O’Loughlin (8)