European Rugby Champions Cup : Leinster v Wasps match preview

Wasps travel to Dublin on Sunday to face Leinster as two of Europe’s recent multiple champions clash at the RDS.

The hosts head into European battle for the first time since the retirement of talismanic skipper Brian O’Driscoll and another of their stalwarts, second-rower Leo Cullen.

But they boast a proud home record in Europe having lost just three of their last 29 matches in the tournament and will be expecting to get their European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 2 campaign underway with a win.

Leinster will need control from their tight five at the set-piece and Jamie Heaslip to be at his most influential when it comes to getting his team over the gain line - the continued absence Sean O'Brien deprives Leinster in that area.

The home side make five changes to the front eight that started in last weekend's Pro12 win over Zebre; Heaslip starts in the back-row and will be flanked by Rhys Ruddock and Dominic Ryan – the latter Ryan returns after being rested against Zebre.

Devin Toner comes in to start in the second row alongside Mike McCarthy in place of Kane Douglas who takes a spot among the replacements.

Sean Cronin starts in the front row in place of Richardt Strauss, Michael Bent comes in for the injured Marty Moore and Jack McGrath starts at loosehead.

Madigan in for Kearney

At full-back Ian Madigan starts in place of Rob Kearney who has been laid low by a troublesome back complaint, while Zane Kirchner and Darragh Fanning are retained in the back three from the Zebre game.

Leinster's midfield partnership also remains the same, with Noel Reid and Gordon D'Arcy starting at 12 and 13 respectively. Eoin Reddan and Jimmy Gopperth make up Leinster's half-back pairing.

Wasps, despite their off-field preoccupations, arrive on Irish soil in eye-catching form, particularly last week's win at home to in-form Bath.

New captain James Haskell is leading by example and with Christian Wade, Sailosi Tagicakibau and last year's top try scorer in the Challenge Cup, Will Helu, in their ranks, the Londoners don't lack for firepower.

Wasps' starting XV is unchanged from the side that beat Bath last weekend, with the exception of England international Joe Launchbury who returns having been a late withdrawal on Sunday.

Wasps' Director of Rugby Young said: "We have taken a lot of confidence from the performance against Bath and will go to Dublin with plenty of belief that, if we're on top of our game, we can really compete with the best in Europe, which Leinster are.”

Leinster: 15 Ian Madigan, 14 Zane Kirchner, 13 Gordon D'Arcy, 12 Noel Reid, 11 Darragh Fanning, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Eoin Reddan; 1 Jack McGrath, 2 Sean Cronin, 3 Michael Bent, 4 Mike McCarthy, 5 Devin Toner, 6 Rhys Ruddock, 7 Dominic Ryan, 8 Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Ed Byrne, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Kane Douglas, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Mick McGrath, 23 Luke Fitzgerald.

Wasps: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Alapati Leiua, 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Joe Simpson; 1 Matt Mullan, 2 Carlo Festuccia, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Bradley Davies, 6 Ashley Johnson, 7 James Haskell (c), 8 Nathan Hughes.

Replacements: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 James Gaskell, 20 Sam Jones, 21 Charlie Davies, 22 Rob Miller, 23 Chris Bell.