United Rugby Championship: Leinster v Ulster
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday, 19 April Kick-off: 19:35 BST
Coverage: Live on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Foyle and BBC Sport website and app from 19:30; also live text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Fit-again Cormac Izuchukwu and Jude Postlethwaite have been named to start for Ulster in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship game against Leinster in Dublin.
Ireland forward Izuchukwu has been out since February with an ankle injury while Postlethwaite has been sidelined since March.
Izuchukwu replaces Kieran Treadwell in the second row and Postlethwaite returns to partner Stuart McCloskey in midfield after James Hume was ruled out earlier this week because of a back injury.
The only other change from Ulster’s Investec Champions Cup last-16 loss to Bordeaux on 6 April sees Nathan Doak recalled at scrum-half, with John Cooney dropping to the bench.
As expected, Leinster have made a raft of changes after thrashing Glasgow Warriors 52-0 in last week’s Champions Cup quarter-finals, with only wing Tommy O’Brien, centre Garry Ringrose and lock Joe McCarthy retained.
Caelan Doris, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park are among those rested by Leinster boss Leo Cullen.
However, Ireland internationals Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong and Sam Prendergast, and South Africa’s RG Snyman, are all named on the bench.
A three-match winning run in March moved Ulster up to the play-off positions in sixth spot as they defeated Scarlets, Dragons and Stormers, with the latter 38-34 win coming after the Irish province trailed 17-0 early on.
However, it remains a congested table with 13th-placed Connacht only four points behind Ulster.
Leinster have an eight-point cushion over nearest challengers Glasgow Warriors at the top of the URC table going into the weekend’s action, having won 13 of their 14 fixtures to date.
Leinster: Osborne; T O’Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, J O’Brien; Frawley, McGrath (capt); Boyle, G McCarthy, Clarkson; J McCarthy, Mangan; Soroka, Penny, Culhane.
Replacements: Sheehan, Porter, Furlong, Snyman, Deegan, Gunne, Prendergast, Turner.
Ulster: Lowry; Ward, Postlethwaite, McCloskey, Stockdale; Murphy, Doak; Warwick, Herring, O’Toole; O’Connor (capt), Izuchukwu; McNabney, Timoney, McCann.
Replacements: Stewart, Reid, Wilson, Dalton, Treadwell, Cooney, Moore, Matty Rea.
