BACK ROWERS BOOST BLUES

JORDI MURPHY and Jack Conan are on Leinster duty tonight having been released from Irish camp.

They both started in Ireland’s back row in last weekend’s 23-20 defeat of Fiji.

Along with Rhys

Ruddock, they made up a unit of all Leinster players but Murphy will start against the Dragons at the RDS on Friday night while Conan is on the bench.

Prop Andrew Porter did an impressive job on his first Ireland start last week but he, too, has been released and is on the bench for the province.

The game marks Leinster’s PRO14 return to action since the win in Glasgow on the third of this month.

Garry Ringrose’s own return to action after five months out was mooted but the Blues have decided to keep the exciting centre in reserve this week.

However, club captain Isa Nacewa is back from injury and makes his first start since September.

Leo Cullen has handed a first start to Josh Murphy, who plays alongside namesake Jordi and Max Deegan in the back row, against Bernard Jackman’s side.

The academy flanker made his senior bow off the bench against Glasgow.

Exciting young gun Jordan Larmour (inset) also gets another chance to shine in the backline, this time starting at full-back due to Rob Kearney’s Test involvement and Joey Carbery’s wrist injury that will keep him out until the new year.

Fergus Mcfadden, meanwhile, is named on the right wing after recovering from a hamstring injury. It will be his 175th appearance for the province.

On the bench, Conor O’brien is in line to make his first senior appearance at the RDS.

CONNACHT defence coach Pete Wilkins believes the Westerners will right the wrongs of their previous PRO14 defeat to Cardiff and gain revenge tonight. The 2016 champions are looking for their fifth win in a row and go with a team that shows four...

DRIVING FORCES Murphy and Conan faced Fiji last week