Leinster recall Test stars to face settled Saints

Ireland's Sam Prendergast and England's Fin Smith will face each other at fly-half in the Champions Cup semi-final

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.

'We are one of few teams who can beat Leinster'

Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, Fin Smith said: "We would like to think we are better prepared for this game than we were last year.

"In the same breath, Leinster are also a very different side to what they were and it doesn't make the task any easier but I would like to say we won't be overwhelmed by the situation.

"Since then a number of our squad have played in big international games in front of big crowds with loads riding on them, so hopefully all that experience will help us.

"It's obviously a real challenge and we have to give them respect but we are not going to bow down. We will have a crack and see how we go. It should be a great game and one I'm looking forward to.

"We are a side that is capable of beating anyone. We are definitely the underdogs and no-one is giving us a shot but we are one of the few teams that I believe can beat Leinster."

Line-ups

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)