The Leinster Rugby squad set to face La Rochelle in Pool 4 of the Investec Champions Cup was announced on Friday.
Here's a recap in case you missed the team announcement:
Head Coach Leo Cullen has chosen 9 players from the team that started last season's Champions Cup Final for the upcoming clash at Stade Marcel Deflandre later this evening.
Garry Ringrose of Leinster during the Heineken Champions Cup Semi-Final match between Leinster and Toulouse at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)Garry Ringrose and James Ryan will co-captain the team in European competition, and hooker Dan Sheehan is set to make his 50th appearance for Leinster.
The backline sees Hugo Keenan starting at full-back, with Jordan Larmour and Jimmy O'Brien on the wings. Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw take the center positions, while Harry Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park complete the backline.
In the front row, Sheehan is flanked by Andrew Porter and Michael Ala'alatoa. Ryan partners with Joe McCarthy in the second row, and the back row comprises Ryan Baird, Will Connors, and Caelan Doris.
The replacements include prop Thomas Clarkson and scrum-half Ben Murphy, both poised to make their Champions Cup debuts.
Speaking ahead of the game, Head Coach Leo Cullen said:"France is a magical place to go to play in this competition. There is nowhere tougher to go than the defending champions either.
“It’s a great test for the group. You want to test yourself against the best. We played at the stadium a few years ago during Covid, and there was no crowd.
“They have sold out 60 or 70 home games in a row now. It’ll be a great challenge.”
The game kicks off at 3:15 pm Irish time and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and Newstalk.
🏉 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧!!
Here is the #LeinsterRugby team to face @StadeRochelais on Sunday afternoon in the @ChampionsCup#SRvLEI #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/wYGmiayPGH— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) December 8, 2023
Leinster Starting Lineup:
Backs:
15. Full-back - Hugo Keenan
14.Wing - Jordan Larmour
11.Wing - Jimmy O'Brien
12. Inside Centre - Robbie Henshaw 13. Outside Centre - Garry Ringrose
10.Fly-half - Harry Byrne Scrumhalf - 9. Jamison Gibson-Park
Front Pack:
1.Prop - Andrew Porter 2. Hooker - Dan Sheehan 3. Prop - Michael Ala'alatoa
4.Second Row - Joe McCarthy 5. Second Row - James Ryan
6. Flanker - Ryan Baird 7. Flanker - Will Connors 8. Flanker - Caelan Doris
