Carbery to make first Leinster appearance in eight years as nine Kildare players set for European rugby this weekend
Joey Carbery is set to make his first appearance for Leinster since leaving the province eight years ago. Photo: INPHO/Grace Halton
This weekend marks the return of European club rugby, as the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup and Challenge Cup get underway.
Leinster, Munster and Connacht will compete in the Champions Cup, while Ulster are in the Challenge Cup.
Leinster begin their Champions Cup campaign away in France on Saturday afternoon, with a familiar trip to the Stade Marcel Michelin to face old foes, Clermont Auvergne.
Having won last week for the first time this season, Leinster will be hoping they can keep up their winning ways against a Clermont side that have lost their previous two games in the Top 14, having won just twice in the first six league games.
Leo Cullen has selected four Kildare players in his match-day 23, including the same three men who impressed in last week's victory over Cardiff.
Man of the Match on that occasion, Sam Prendergast, remains at fly half, while his two tries against the Welsh side sees Jimmy O'Brien reinstated on the wing.
Jamie Osborne must satisfy himself with a spot among the replacements, where he is joined by Leinster’s prodigal son, Joe Carbery. The Athy man has not featured for Leinster since 2018 and has had to fight through injury to earn his place in the squad for the first time this season.
Three-time winners, Saracens, are not the force they once were, but they will still provide stiff opposition for Stuart Lancaster's Connacht on Saturday evening in Galway.
Kildare's Cian Prendergast will captain Connacht from the blindside, while Billy Bohan provides front-row cover on the bench.
Munster welcome Racing to Thomond Park on Saturday night, with the Parisian side off to a dreadful start to the Top 14, with just two wins from their opening six games.
The URC has been a mixed bag for Clayton McMillan's side, with Munster having won, drawn and lost in their opening three fixtures.
The home side have named Kildare's Tadhg Beirne and Jeremy Loughman in the starting XV, with Beirne captaining the side from the second row.
Two sides who are yet to win a game this season face off on Saturday afternoon in Italy, with Ulster's two draws and a defeat so far in the URC stacking up rather well against Zebre's three straight defeats.
Athy's Martin Moloney is set to make only his second appearance for the northern province as he provides back-row cover on the bench.
