Michael Cheika has named his Leinster squad to face Munster in Saturday’s Magners League semi final in the RDS (KO: 8pm).
Announcing his retirement on the week he was included in the Magners showdown, Leinster second row Malcolm O’Kelly has said that he will retire from competitive action at the end of this season. O’Kelly, 35, made his Leinster debut in February 1995 and is Leinster’s most capped player with 186 (including 10 tries). The Templeogue man made 92 Ireland appearances and is included in the extended panel for Saturday’s interprovincial derby.
Fresh from a 17 point haul in Sunday night’s bonus point victory over Edinburgh, Isa Nacewa is also included in the squad alongside try-scorers Cian Healy, Shane Horgan, Stephen Keogh and Rob Kearney. Boyne winger Horgan’s 41st minute try in the 37-28 victory was his 31st in league action for Leinster, moving him into second place in the all-time league career list.
The match, with additional attractions on show in the area beforehand, is expected to be a sell out and it is unlikely that there will be any tickets on general sale. The team is expected to be announced on Friday lunchtime.
FORWARDS: John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Trevor Hogan, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Malcolm O’Kelly, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan, Richardt Strauss, CJ van der Linde, Stan Wright
BACKS: Shaun Berne, Gordon D’Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, Paul O’Donohoe, Brian O’Driscoll, Eoin O’Malley, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton
REFEREE: Nigel Owens (WRU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: James Jones (WRU), Nigel Whitehouse (WRU), 4th OFFICIAL: John Carvill (ARLB), 5th OFFICIAL: Alan Rogan (ARLB), TMO: Hugh Watkins (WRU)
