Leinster have avoided controversy by not including suspended prop Cian Healy in their team to face Treviso at the RDS on Saturday.
Normally, Healy wouldn't have played this weekend but Leinster had suggested that he would be considered since his three-week ban handed down by the Six Nations disciplinary committee only officially starts on Monday. However it has been stated that he is suspended and is therefore unavailable for selection.
The province welcome back several players who were involved with the Ireland squad in recent weeks. Amongst them is hooker Sean Cronin while fellow Limerick man Eoin Reddan will make his 78th Leinster appearance and will link up with Ian Madigan in the half-backs.
Rhys Ruddock will captain the side on his 50th provincial appearance and is named in a back-row with fellow Academy graduates Dominic Ryan and Jordi Murphy, who scored a try in the 26-11 victory over Cardiff Blues on his 18th appearance last weekend.
Fergus McFadden joins full-back Luke Fitzgerald and Dave Kearney in an exciting back three, with Eoin O'Malley - fresh from making his senior seasonal bow last weekend - named at centre alongside Andrew Goodman.
In total, 12 of the starting 15 are graduates of the Leinster Academy.
Meanwhile, Manoa Vosawai starts for Treviso in place of Robert Barbieri.
Tommaso Iannone starts on the wing with Michele Rizzo at prop amongst the changes to Franco Smith's side.
The player will only permit the author of the second half in Newport, the third line of the Petrarca Padova, Philip Giusti, while holders Manoa Vosawai start in place of Robert Barbieri and Tommaso Iannone Michele Rizzo.
Doppies La Grange moves to inside centre with Andrea Pratichetti at 13.
Form: Leinster have won their last five matches in all competitions since being defeated 19-27 at Ulster in the RaboDirect PRO12 on 21 December. The Leinstermen have suffered just one reversal at the RDS in the regular season of the PRO12 since September 2011: 22-23 to Ospreys on 23 March. Benetton Treviso play their third successive away game in the PRO12, losing the other two: 7-41 in Glasgow and 14-23 at the Dragons. Treviso have not won in Ireland since a visit to Connacht on 2 December 2011. Treviso's only previous victory against Leinster was 29-13 at Stadio Monigo on 18 September 2010.
The teams:
Leinster: 15 Luke Fitzgerald, 14 Dave Kearney, 13 Eoin O'Malley, 12 Andrew Goodman, 11 Fergus McFadden, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jordi Murphy, 7 Dominic Ryan, 6 Rhys Ruddock (c), 5 Devin Toner, 4 Ben Marshall, 3 Jamie Hagan, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Jack McGrath.
Replacements: 16 Aaron Dundon, 17 Jack O'Connell, 18 Michael Bent, 19 Leo Cullen, 20 Shane Jennings, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Noel Reid, 23 Fionn Carr.
Treviso: 15 Giulio Toniolatti, 14 Ludovico Nitoglia, 13 Andrea Pratichetti, 12 Doppies La Grange, 11 Tommaso Iannone, 10 James Ambrosini, 9 Fabio Semenzato, 8 Manoa Vosawai, 7 Valerio Bernaḅ, 6 Dean Budd, 5 Corniel Van Zyl (c), 4 Marco Fuser, 3 Jacobus Roux, 2 Giovanni Maistri, 1 Michele Rizzo,
Replacements: 16 Franco Sbaraglini, 17 Ignacio Fernandez-Rouyet, 18 Pedro Di Santo, 19 Enrico Ceccato, 20 Filippo Giusti, 21 Christian Loamanu, 22 Luca Morisi, 23 Brendan Williams.
Date: Saturday, February 16
Venue: RDS Dublin
Kick-off: 17.00 GMT
Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)
Comments
kiwieire02 says...
All I say is that ya can say what ya like about setanta sport but at least when they had the tv coverage rights they showed every single game of the then Magners League
Posted 16:17 16th February 2013
J_Hdk says...
In fairness to rule pungent (the head of sport at rte ) he is the second worst. Have you heard George Hamilton have a go? It's so obvious that he hasn't a clue.the rte analysis and commentary are so painfully amateurish that i have to watch the bbc for internationals. With The breakdown gone from setanta we are lost. Matt and Fran. Rocked.
Posted 10:01 16th February 2013
paddy91317 says...
Thay are not showing it so kidney can use it as an excuse not to play Madigan at 10 v Scotland as ROG and Paddy Jackson more chance of kidney seeing them play
Posted 08:49 16th February 2013
tellitlikeitis says...
Better call vyle pungent, the world's worst rugby commentator and head of RTE sport, and ask him what hand the family 'friend' uncle hook has had in all this.
Posted 02:31 16th February 2013
Theshaw says...
@ leinster guy!
Yea your right I'm absolutely disgusted myself!! What's the story with that? There was a thing that rte said because of logistics! Logistics?? Rte is 5 mins away from rds. They should cover every game like bbc does for ulster!!
What can we do about this?
Posted 19:15 15th February 2013
Kid_Diablo says...
ffs look at that line up, i would have loved to see this match. get yourself sorted out rte
Posted 19:14 15th February 2013
leinster_goy says...
Leinster v cardiff last week: not televised
Leinster v treviso tomorrow: not televised
Leinster v scarlets next week: on TG4 (so it might as well not be televised)
Leinster v dragons two weeks from now: not televised
stab city united v scarlets tomorrow: on RTE
stab city united v treviso next week: on TG4
stab city united v ospreys two weeks from now: on RTE
absolutely, utterly disgusting. and people wonder why i'm paranoid?
Posted 17:27 15th February 2013