Three Lions return for Leinster vs Stormers but mysterious decision remains

Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan will miss Leinster’s United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Stormers after picking up knee and shoulder injuries in the quarter-final victory over the Lions.

The 27-year-old has been replaced by fellow Ireland international Ronan Kelleher in the starting XV, who did not feature against the Lions.

Kelleher is one of three changes to the starting XV made by Leo Cullen, with all three being British & Irish Lions tourists in 2025. Jamison Gibson-Park will start at scrum-half at the Aviva Stadium instead of Luke McGrath, and Josh van der Flier will start on the openside instead of Scott Penny.

While McGrath will join the substitutes, Penny is out of the squad entirely, with Jack Conan joining the replacements after a rest last week. The other change on the bench sees Garry Ringrose come back into a matchday squad instead of Robbie Henshaw.

Despite impressing in the second half of the Investec Champions Cup final defeat to Bordeaux-Begles, there is no place in the team for Connacht-bound fly-half Ciarán Frawley, meaning he may well have played his final game for the province.

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Leinster

20 - 11

Full-time

Stormers

All Stats and Data

Leinster XV: Hugo Keenan (84); Jimmy O’Brien (119), Rieko Ioane (16), Jamie Osborne (75), James Lowe (100); Sam Prendergast (50), Jamison Gibson-Park (172); Andrew Porter (149), Rónan Kelleher (93), Thomas Clarkson (78), Joe McCarthy (64), James Ryan (110), Max Deegan (159), Josh van der Flier (174), Caelan Doris (107, capt)

Replacements: Gus McCarthy (30), Alex Usanov (8), Rabah Slimani (37), Diarmuid Mangan (29), Jack Conan (178), Luke McGrath (255), Harry Byrne (92), Garry Ringrose (149)