Heineken Champions Cup: McCloskey and Herring return for Ulster as Ringrose misses out for Leinster

McCloskey will partner James Hume at centre for Ulster

Ireland players Rob Herring and Stuart McCloskey return to the Ulster team for Saturday's Heineken Champions Cup knockout game away to Leinster.

Captain Alan O'Connor, Tom O'Toole and Rory Sutherland are also back in, with Tom Stewart on the bench despite scoring three tries last week.

As expected, Ross Byrne replaces injured Leinster captain Johnny Sexton at fly-half for the match in Dublin.

Injury concerns Garry Ringrose and Caelan Doris did not make their squad.

While Leinster boss Leo Cullen is not able to call on the Ireland duo, he does have their international team-mate Hugo Keenan fit to take his place at full-back.

James Ryan will captain Leinster in the absence of Sexton, after undergoing groin surgery, with 14 of Ireland's Grand Slam winners back in the matchday squad.

Tadhg Furlong makes his first European appearance of the season with Jimmy O'Brien and Robbie Henshaw forming the centre partnership for the first time.

The winners of Saturday's match at Aviva Stadium will face Leicester Tigers in the quarter-finals of the European competition the following week.

Four-time European champions Leinster are aiming to win the premier piece of club silverware on the continent for the first time since 2018 and have won both meetings against Ulster in the United Rugby Championship this season.

The northern province have never beaten their rivals in European competition, although they did come close at the quarter-final stage four years ago, losing narrowly 21-19.

Iain Henderson and Marty Moore are both unavailable for Ulster, with captain Henderson picking up another injury while on Six Nations duty with Ireland.

Herring, McCloskey and O'Toole sat out Ulster's win last week over the Vodacom Bulls but come into the starting line-up as three of five changes made by head coach Dan McFarland.

Academy product Dave McCann starts at blindside flanker and is joined in the back row by the experienced pairing of Ireland international Nick Timoney and Springbok Duane Vermeulen,

Ulster: (Lowry, Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale, Burns, Doak; Sutherland, Herring, O'Toole, O'Connor, Treadwell, McCann, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Stewart, O'Sullivan, Toomaga-Allen, Sheridan, Rea, Cooney, Moore, Moxham.

Leinster: Keenan, Larmour, O'Brien, Henshaw, Lowe, Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Molony, Ryan, Baird, van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: McKee, Healy, Ala'alatoa, Jenkins, Penny, McGrath, Byrne, Frawley.