Leinster v Munster: Teams

Leinster have been buoyed by news that Ireland fly-half Jonathan Sexton has been passed fit to face Munster in the Magners League play-off semi-final.

The return of Sexton means Isa Nacewa moves back to the wing, with Girvan Dempsey dropping to the bench.

In the forwards, Shane Jennings has recovered from an ankle injury to skipper the side while Malcolm O'Kelly replaces the injured Leo Cullen.

And head coach Michael Cheika, who will leave the club in the summer to take over at Stade Francais, is expecting a fiercely contested derby.

"I think that the key issue is to take every encounter on its own basis," he said. "Every ruck and every ball is going to be contested very fiercely.

"If you saw the way they fought against Cardiff (last Sunday), they fought for everything on the ground. It wasn't pretty but they really showed their character in fighting for every ball.

"If there's one thing we are, it's well aware of the fact that we're going to have to be at our most physical if we want to win the game."

Munster have recalled a number of internationals for the all-Irish encounter in Dublin.

Doug Howlett, Keith Earls, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes and Mick O'Driscoll have been named in the matchday squad.

Former All Black Howlett returns to the wing for the first time since the Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Northampton, while Earls comes into the centres.

Hayes and O'Driscoll will bolster the pack, while Flannery will start on the bench.

Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Isa Nacewa, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Shane Jennings (capt), 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 5 Malcolm O'Kelly, 4 Nathan Hines, 3 Stan Wright, 2 John Fogarty, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements (from): Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, CJ van der Linde, Trevor Hogan, Rhys Ruddock, Stephen Keogh, Paul O'Donohoe, Shaun Berne, Fergus McFadden, Girvan Dempsey.

Munster: 15 Paul Warwick, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Keith Earls, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Lifeimi Mafi, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Tomas O'Leary, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Niall Ronan, 6 Alan Quinlan, 5 Mick O'Driscoll, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Damien Varley, 1 Marcus Horan.
Replacements: 16 Jerry Flannery, 17 Dave Ryan, 18 James Coughlan, 19 David Wallace, 20 Peter Stringer, 21 Denis Hurley, 22 Scott Deasy.