Leinster recall stars for Champions Cup semi with Northampton

Investec Champions Cup semi-final: Leinster v Northampton

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday, 3 May Kick-off: 17:30 BST

Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and BBC Radio Northampton

Leinster make wholesale changes including recalling Ireland captain Caelan Doris and fly-half Sam Prendergast for their Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints.

Veteran prop Cian Healy is the sole survivor from Leinster's United Rugby Championship defeat by Scarlets while in contrast Saints' only change from from their Premiership win over Bristol Bears is the return of prop Trevor Davison.

Number eight Doris returns to captain the hosts at Aviva Stadium while Ireland wing James Lowe and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park also start. New Zealand's World Cup winner Jordie Barrett is named on the bench.

Reigning Premiership champions Saints arrive in Dublin with a strong side that will include England wing Tommy Freeman and fly-half Fin Smith, who will line-up against Prendergast in what has been framed as a head-to-head audition for selection on this summer's British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Both fly-halves produced stellar displays in the quarter-final as Ireland's Prendergast dismantled the Glasgow defence and kicked well, while England's Smith pulled the strings with composure as Saints thumped Castres.

The notable absentee for the visitors is full-back George Furbank, who made a try-scoring return from injury in their win over Castres before suffering a setback with an arm injury that had sidelined him since December.

Four-time winners Leinster and the 1999-00 champions Northampton renew their European rivalry, which saw them meet at the same stage of last year's competition.

England flanker Henry Pollock continues his remarkable breakthrough season with a starting berth in his first European semi-final, a year on from watching last year's game at Croke Park as a supporter in fancy dress.

The hosts edged to a narrow victory on that occasion but Saints, who won the trophy in 2000, will be confident of reaching a first Champions Cup final since they were beaten by the Irish province in the 2011 showpiece.

Victory for Leinster could set up a repeat of last year's final against six-time winners Toulouse, who face French rivals Bordeaux-Begles in the other semi-final on Sunday.

Leinster: Keenan; O'Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Healy, Sheehan, Furlong, Snyman, McCarthy, Deegan, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Slimani, Baird, Conan, McGrath, R Byrne, Barrett.

Northampton Saints: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Litchfield; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock, Augustus.

Replacements: Walker, West, Millar Mills, Lockett, Munga, Scott-Young, James, Seabrook.

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)