| Venue: RDS Arena, Dublin Date: Saturday, 27 March Kick-off: 17:00 GMT |
| Coverage: Score updates and match report on the BBC Sport website |
Leinster will aim to secure a fourth successive Pro14 title when they face Irish interprovincial rivals Munster in Saturday’s final at the RDS Arena.
Both sides lost only two of their 16 matches in the regular season as they topped their respective Conferences.
Leinster finished seven points ahead of Ulster in Conference A and Munster had a massive 19 points to spare over Connacht in Conference B.
Munster hope to win the competition for the first time since 2011.
The season has been dominated by the four Irish provinces but with the announcement of the new Rainbow Cup competition to be played between April and June, Pro14 organisers decided to dispense with play-offs for the present campaign and instead move straight to a final between the two group winners.
The final is being played just over six months since the last decider, which saw Leinster prevail 27-5 over Ulster at the Aviva Stadium in September.
Despite the showpiece being sandwiched between Ireland’s final Six Nations game against England last week and the return of the European Champions Cup next weekend both provinces have named strong starting line-ups loaded with Irish internationals.
Byrne starts at fly-half for Leinster
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has opted to start with Ross Byrne ahead of Johnny Sexton at fly-half, while Joey Carbery is handed the number 10 shirt for Munster, with JJ Hanrahan on the bench.
Luke McGrath will captain Leinster for the first time in a major final, while Devin Toner becomes the most capped Leinster player of all time as he makes his 262nd appearance.
Hugo Keenan starts at full-back having played in every minute of Ireland’s recent Six Nations campaign, with Jordan Larmour on the right wing and Dave Kearney on the left.
In the centre, Robbie Henshaw will wear the number 12 jersey with Rory O’Loughlin starting in a final for the first time outside him.
In the pack, there is a return for a trio of players involved with Ireland last weekend as Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher and Andrew Porter start in the front row.
Scott Fardy will be partnered in the second row by record breaker Toner as James Ryan misses out through injury, along with Will Connors and Garry Ringrose.
The back row sees Rhys Ruddock at blind-side flanker, with Josh van der Flier at openside and Jack Conan named at number eight.
Carbery and Murray form half-back pairing
For Munster, Mike Haley starts at full-back with Andrew Conway and Keith Earls completing the back three.
Damian de Allende and Chris Farrell form the centre partnership as Conor Murray and Carbery start in the half-backs together for the first time this season.
James Cronin, Niall Scannell and John Ryan pack down in the front row with Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne starting in the engine room.
Gavin Coombes, captain Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander complete the starting XV.
Prop Dave Kilcoyne has completed the return to play protocols and is named among the replacements.
How they line up
Leinster: Keenan; Larmour, O’Loughlin, Henshaw, Kearney; R Byrne, McGrath (capt); Healy, Kelleher, Porter; Toner, Fardy; Ruddock, van der Flier, Conan.
Replacements: Tracy, E Byrne, Furlong, Molony, Baird, Gibson-Park, Sexton, Lowe.
Munster: Haley; Conway, Farrell, de Allende, Earls; Carbery, Murray; Cronin, N Scannell, Ryan; Kleyn, Beirne; Coombes, O’Mahony (capt), Stander.
Replacements: O’Byrne, Kilcoyne, Archer, Holland, O’Donoghue, Casey, Hanrahan, R Scannell.
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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