Joey Carbery will start against Munster for the first time since leaving the province in 2018 when Leinster host their great rivals at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday evening, in round four of the United Rugby Championship. The out-half, who returned to Leinster this summer, replaces Sam Prendergast in a reshaped backline, while captain Dan Sheehan has been named at number eight in a surprise positional switch.
A return home with an edge
Joey Carbery will make his first start for Leinster in eight years, coming off the bench as a late replacement for Sam Prendergast earlier in the season before now earning his first start since his return to the province. The out-half left Leinster in high-profile circumstances in 2018 and is now named to start against the province where he spent six injury-riddled seasons until 2024.
Carbery's switch back across the capital after two years in France with Bordeaux Bègles has been one of the storylines of the Irish rugby season. Saturday's derby, in front of a sold-out Aviva crowd, gives him an immediate and symbolic reunion with the club that shaped the middle years of his career, including a Six Nations era defined by fitness struggles and flashes of brilliance.
Why Carbery starts ahead of Prendergast
Carbery comes in to replace Sam Prendergast, who dazzled against Clermont Auvergne in the Champions Cup last weekend. Prendergast's try-scoring display in that win over Clermont had made his absence from the matchday squad entirely unexpected, with no sign of the young out-half anywhere in Leo Cullen's matchday 23 for the derby.
Sheehan's bold switch to the back row
Leo Cullen has made four changes to his squad from the win in France last weekend, with the headlines taken by the shock position change of captain Dan Sheehan, who swaps hooker for number eight for the first time the 28-year-old forward will start a game in the back row. The move comes with Caelan Doris unavailable and Jack Conan sidelined by the shoulder injury he suffered against Clermont.
The reshuffle leaves Leinster without their two first-choice back-row specialists for a game that still decides bragging rights in Irish rugby, a situation already being monitored closely ahead of this season's Ireland squad plans. Sheehan's move sees Rónan Kelleher come into the side at hooker, joining Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter in the front row.
Team news in full
Leinster's selection
Jamison Gibson-Park comes into the team for the first time this season at scrum-half, and Jamie Osborne joins Robbie Henshaw in the centre, while Jimmy O'Brien and Tommy O'Brien continue on the wings with Hugo Keenan once again named at full-back, and Ryan Baird and Josh van der Flier are the flankers. Gus McCarthy, Alex Usanov and Thomas Clarkson provide the front row cover with Conor O'Tighearnaigh and Scott Penny filling out the forward replacements, while Fintan Gunne provides reinforcements at scrum-half with academy out-half Caspar Gabriel and Charlie Tector completing the matchday 23.
Munster's changes
Leinster have collected eight points from their opening three league matches, including four bonus points, while Munster have made changes of their own, with Shane Daly returning from injury and Josh Wycherley, Kieran Brookes, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O'Donoghue, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes also drafted into the starting XV. Craig Casey and Charlie O'Shea continue as the half-back partnership, with Ben O'Donovan and JJ Hanrahan on the bench, while Sean O'Brien moves from wing to centre to replace the injured Kelly, with Alex Nankivell in the number 13 shirt.
Kick-off details and what comes next
The match is scheduled for the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, with kick-off at 18.00 Irish time, refereed by Andrew Brace with Keane Davison and Dan Carson as assistant referees and Colin Stanley as TMO. It will be shown live on Premier Sports 1.
Beyond the result, Saturday also doubles as an audition. Sheehan's new post is directly relevant to his captaincy of Ireland in the upcoming Nations Championship window, while Carbery's performance at out-half will shape the conversation around Leinster's number 10 pecking order heading into that same international break. Supporters of both provinces will also be watching how the United Rugby Championship table shifts, with Leinster currently well placed after three rounds and Munster looking to close the gap with victory in Dublin.