Key distributor: Morgan Parra
Leinster travel to Clermont looking to become the first side to beat the French side at home since November 2009.
The Dubliners, who are looking to win their fourth title in five years, will be under no illusions of the task facing them when they travel to face one of the favourites for this season's competition.
The French side will be determined to make amends for the 19-15 defeat to Leinster in last year's semi-final in Bordeaux which cost them a place in the final at Twickenham.
This clash does bring the best attacking side in the competition so far - Clermont - and the best defensive side - Leinster - together but something will have to give this weekend.
Clermont have already scored a dozen tries in their two comprehensive victories over the Scarlets and Exeter Chiefs and lead the Pool by two points ahead of the Irish club.
Leinster have managed only one try in their previous two games but their impressive defence has also seen them only concede a solitary try and they still have Clermont very much in their sights.
Clermont coach Vern Cotter has decided to make 12 changes from the team that started last weekend in Toulouse.
Aurélien Rougerie captains the side from outside centre partnered by French international Wesley Fofana, with Sitiveni Sivivatu and Naipolioni Nalaga offering the attacking threat out wide.
Morgan Parra and Brock James are named at half-back, with Jamie Cudmore and Nathan Hines making up the pairing in the second-row.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Sexton will make his 100th appearance for Leinster after being named in the side for Sunday's clash in France and the Ireland out-half will partner Isaac Boss at half-back.
Gordon D'Arcy, meanwhile, will become the most capped Leinster player in Heineken Cup history when he takes his place at outside centre and he will make his 88th European appearance alongside tournament debutant Andrew Goodman who lines up inside him.
Leo Cullen leads the team and is named in an all-Ireland pack which features seven internationals as well as Ireland 'A' lock Damian Browne. Mike Ross starts in the front row - alongside Sean Cronin and Cian Healy - and the Cork man will make his 75th appearance since his 2009 move to the province.
The teams:
Clermont: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13 Aurélien Rougerie (c), 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Naipolioni Nalaga, 10 Brock James, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Damien Chouly, 7 Alexandre Lapandry, 6 Julien Bonnaire, 5 Nathan Hines, 4 Jamie Cudmore, 3 Davit Zirakashvili, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 1 Vincent Debaty.
Replacements: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Raphael Chaume, 18 Daniel Kotze, 19 Julien Pierre, 20 Julien Bardy, 21 Ludo Radosavljevic, 22 David Skrela, 23 Regan King.
Leinster: 15 Ian Madigan, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Gordon D'Arcy, 12 Andrew Goodman, 11 Isa Nacewa, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Issac Boss, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 5 Damien Browne, 4 Leo Cullen (capt), 3 Mike Ross, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Michael Bent, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Shane Jennings, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Fionn Carr, 23 Andrew Conway.
Date: Sunday, December 9
Kick-off: 16:00 (15:00 GMT)
Venue: Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Sean Brickell (Wales), Jonathan Mason (Wales)
Television match official: Derek Bevan (Wales)
Timekeeper: Daniel Gillet (France)
Comments
Sincero says...
I'm well aware of the odd rules surrounding the semi-final locations, but would have to say if you win the lucky dip and get to choose the venue that best suits your game and fan-base, it's then a home match. Whether or not E.R.C. wish to call it a home match is a different question, as doing so would highlight a major flaw in the cup format- but that doesn't change the reality.
Posted 10:06 09th December 2012
froggy73 says...
@J_HDK seriously I don't see on what basis you can say I am embarrassing myself. I only stated true facts... if you are not familiar with rugby rules, you can still go on the footie forum. You dodgy comments will fit in perfectly there.
Btw, I am not a Clermont fan, and even less a Leinster fan.
Posted 22:01 08th December 2012
paddy91317 says...
@mr right
Could be a draw :)
Posted 17:46 08th December 2012
Mr_Right says...
I'm really hoping J_HDK and Sincero are trying to be funny. Should be a great game. Leinster haven't looked great his season mostly due to injury, but apart from thrashing a 14 man Scarlets team and a very good second 40 against Exeter, Clermont haven't exactly been flying this season either.
It's not a great looking back line that Leinster have named but I think too many people are writing Leinster off too easily. Lets not forgot that they are the defending champions and games between these two are always close. Either way one teams outstanding record is going to come to an end, Clermonts 50 home game unbeaten streak or Leinsters 17 European games unbeaten record.
Posted 14:30 08th December 2012
J_HDK says...
Froggy .... shush... you are just embarrassing yourself
Posted 01:55 08th December 2012
J_HDK says...
To be a little cheeky here... Did Clermont change the venue last year in order to ensure their home record remained intact? ;) No matter. this will be a stern test.
Posted 01:52 08th December 2012
Iyhel says...
@backing leinster: victory w/ or w/o bonus for Clermont and no bonus for Leinster...
Posted 21:04 07th December 2012
scrumdog says...
Another opportunity for Nigel Owens to screw it up for an Irish side! Go Leinster!
Posted 18:18 07th December 2012
dafyddg84 says...
@Sincero - FYI the semi final was played in the home country of one of the semi-finalists but the semi final, unlike the quarter final, may even be in the 'home city' but they never counts as home fixtures (despite how semantic some of the locations have been - Landsdowne Road would be usable for Leinster, the Walkers for Leicester, Stade Municipal for Toulouse and Parc des Princes for Stade Francais) so the game in Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux counts as a 'neutral' venue.
Posted 17:09 07th December 2012
froggy73 says...
@Sincero - Sorry mate you are wrong. Last year in Bordeaux was not a home. Semis can't be played on home soil. But Clermont who won the draw could chose any stadium (except of course in Clermont). They chose Bordeaux for logistic reasons. That was a neutal venue and was considered as such. Same happened in the other semis Ulster vs Edimburg.
Posted 16:56 07th December 2012
BackingLeinster says...
@carpelone
Clermont, 5 or
4
points to 0would be awfully strange if that scoreline came up
Posted 16:46 07th December 2012
carpelone says...
Clermont, 5 or 4 points to 0
Posted 15:29 07th December 2012
papachinzo says...
Oh dear... Leinster don't have a chance !! Clermont by 20.
Posted 14:52 07th December 2012
Sincero says...
"Leinster travel to Clermont looking to become the first side to beat the French side at home since November 2009." That's not really the case, as last year's match in Bordeaux was a home game for ASM- they just decided to move it to a different stadium. Their amazing record is, of course, in games played at the S. M. Michelin.
Posted 14:15 07th December 2012
bothhands says...
fark I would love to be watching this rather than bouncing off my cabin wall
Posted 13:57 07th December 2012
Rosbif says...
ASM missing Domingo and Vosloo (and others of course). Leinster missing BOD and Kearney (and others of course). So will Leinster get the upper hand in the pack, and ASM have the edge out wide? Would be the opposite of previous years.... Can't wait to find out!!
Good luck both teams :-)
Posted 13:56 07th December 2012
curates_egg says...
Very hard to be optimistic about this one. The loss of Kearney and BOD are perhaps not as bad as the lack of decent 2nd rows.
Big calls on Cronin and Madigan and not to play Jennings, which hopefully pay off. It is clearly a team selected for damage limitation. Didn't realise Van Der Merwe was injured.
Ominous looking Clermont backline.
Posted 13:48 07th December 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
A good Leinster bench but an awesome Clarmont 15. Clarmont to comfortably win it in first 60 with a spirited Leinster revival.
Posted 13:32 07th December 2012
leinster_goy says...
a little worried by the selection of Madders at 15 (although not really surprised given the paucity of options in the backline). choke james is gonna be putting high balls down Madders's throat all day, with rougerie on the chase. big big test for the youngster
also concerned about hooker. Straussy must be carrying a knock...why else wouldn't he start a huge game like this? Cronin is good in the loose but his lineout throwing is about as straight as alan carr on a roundabout. bonnaire et al will target that, for sure
i'm tempted to go by the old mantra "In Schmidty We Trust" but perhaps he has realistic expectations aboout this game. if they get out there with the losing bonus point, i'll be over the moon. knowing this Leinster team though, i certainly wouldn't rule out a win
Posted 13:31 07th December 2012
Theshaw says...
Nigel Owens :(((((
Posted 13:20 07th December 2012