Changes for Leinster and Ulster

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made a number of changes to his starting XV for Friday's Guinness PRO12 clash with Edinburgh.

Rob Kearney has been ruled out of for a number of weeks because of a knee injury and as a result Zane Kirchner moves to full-back with Dave Kearney starting n the left wing and Isa Nacewa coming in for his first appearance of the season on the right wing.

Noel Reid and Garry Ringrose are retained in the centre for the third game in a row, while Jamison Gibson-Park starts at scrum-half alongside Joey Carbery.

Jack McGrath and Sean Cronin come into the front row alongside Mike Ross with Devin Toner named in the second row where he will partner Mike McCarthy.

Jamie Heaslip comes into the back row at number eight for the first time this season with Jordi Murphy at blind side and Dan Leavy at open side.

Leinster (XV v Edinburgh): Z Kirchner; I Nacewa, G Ringrose, N Reid, D Kearney; J Carbery, J Gibson-Park; J McGrath, S Cronin, M Ross, D Toner, M McCarthy, J Murphy, D Leavy, J Heaslip.

Replacements: B Byrne, C Healy, T Furlong, R Molony, J van der Flier, L McGrath, C Marsh, R O'Loughlin.

Ireland trio Craig Gilroy, Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson return to the Ulster starting XV for the visit of Scarlets to Kingspan Stadium.

In total there are eight changes to the team that defeated Treviso last weekend with Gilroy coming into the back three alongside All Black Charles Piutau and Louis Ludik, who switches from full-back to the left wing.

Stuart McCloskey and Stuart Olding start in midfield as Jackson joins Ruan Pienaar in the half-back line.

Rob Herring will make his 100th appearance for the province when he takes his place in the front row where he is joined by Callum Black and Rodney Ah You, with Pete Browne and Alan O'Connor teaming up in the second row. Clive Ross and Sean Reidy are retained in the back row where they are joined by Robbie Diack.

Ulster (XV v Scarlets): C Piutau; C Gilroy, S Olding, S McCloskey, L Ludik; P Jackson, R Pienaar; C Black, R Herring, R Ah You, P Browne, A O'Connor, C Ross, S Reidy, R Diack.

Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, R Kane, F van der Merwe, I Henderson, A Lloyd, L Marshall, R Lyttle.

Setanta Sports is now eir Sport. We have 6 great channels of live sport including eir Sport 1 & 2 and all 4 BT Sport channels. The eir Sport pack is free to all eir broadband customers. To learn more about setting sport free visit www.eir.ie/sport .