Kearney to miss Exeter clash
Leinster fullback Rob Kearney hasn’t recovered from a back injury in time to feature in the province’s opening Heineken Cup game against the Exeter Chiefs in the RDS on Saturday afternoon (3.40pm).
Kearney trained well on Thursday but pulled up sore afterwards, as a result Ian Madigan continues at fullback for his second Heineken Cup start.
Both Kearney and Gordon D'Arcy are expected to be available for selection for the Round 2 trip to Llanelli next weekend.
Cian Healy will make his 100th Leinster appearance on Saturday and the 25-year-old loose-head prop will start in the front row alongside Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross.
Skipper Leo Cullen partners Damian Browne at second row with Kevin McLaughlin continuing in the back-row alongside Shane Jennings and number eight Jamie Heaslip.
The backline is unchanged from the one which started last weekend's victory over Munster with Fergus McFadden partnering Brian O'Driscoll at centre and Isa Nacewa on the left wing making his 33rd Heineken Cup appearance.
Meanwhile, scrum-half Isaac Boss has recovered from the injury he sustained on the opening weekend of the league campaign and takes his place amongst the replacements alongside fellow Ireland internationals Sean Cronin and Devin Toner.
Leinster (v Exeter Chiefs): I Madigan; A Conway, B O’Driscoll, F McFadden, I Nacewa; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen ©, D Browne; K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip.
Replacements: S Cronin, H van der Merwe, J Hagan, D Toner, L Auva’a, J Murphy, I Boss, F Carr.
