Investec Champions Cup: Leinster's Hugo Keenan to start against Leicester Tigers

Hugo Keenan will play for the first time since the Six Nations

Hugo Keenan has been passed fit for Leinster's Investec Champions Cup last-16 tie against Leicester Tigers.

Leinster boss Leo Cullen can also select Robbie Henshaw, Andrew Porter and, as a replacement, Ciaran Frawley. Like Keenan, all were injury doubts.

For Leicester, prop Dan Cole is one of three changes to the Tigers team that beat Newcastle Falcons last weekend.

Former Ireland Under-20s international Dan Kelly and Jamie Shillcock come into Dan McKellar's side too on Saturday.

This will be the teams' second meeting this season, with Leinster having won at Welford Road in the pool stages in January.

They also played in the quarter-finals of this competition last season, when Leinster again were the victors.

"We're excited to get over to Dublin and rip into this challenge," said Leicester head coach Dan McKellar.

"Their record speaks for itself but, like any game of rugby, if you can apply pressure and deny opportunity consistently, you'll give yourself a great chance to be in the contest."

At fly-half, Leinster's Cullen has selected Ross Byrne ahead of the 28-year-old's younger brother Harry.

"Everyone has this obsession about the starting 15 but we know what these knockout games are like now coming down to the end," said Cullen.

"It's about making sure we've got confidence. Last week Harry starts the game and Ross finishes and it's Ross starting the game and leading this week, so to speak, but Harry is going to have a big role to play at some point hopefully as well.

"The main thing is that the two guys are working well together."

The winners will play either the Stormers or holders La Rochelle in the quarter-finals.

Line-ups

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Ross Molony, Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (c).

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala'alatoa, Jason Jenkins, Jack Conan, Ben Murphy, Harry Byrne, Ciaran Frawley.

Leicester Tigers: Jamie Shillcock; Freddie Steward, Dan Kelly, Solomone Kata, Ollie Hassell-Collins; Handre Pollard, Jack van Poortvliet; James Cronin, Julian Montoya (c), Dan Cole; Harry Wells, Kyle Hatherell; Hanro Liebenberg, Olly Cracknell, Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: Charlie Clare, Francois van Wyk, Will Hurd, Finn Carnduff, Emeka Ilione, Tom Whiteley, Phil Cokanasiga, Mike Brown.

Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)