Leinster

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Leinster have confirmed Croke Park will host their United Rugby Championship encounter with inter-provincial rivals Munster on 12 October (17:45 BST).

With their RDS Arena home being redeveloped, Leinster will play their 2024-25 home matches at Croke, which is the home of the GAA, and the Aviva Stadium.

Leinster hosted Northampton at a sold-out Croke Park in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final in May.

Leinster also faced Munster at Croke Park in the Champions Cup semi-final in 2009, which the former won 25-6.

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Former France international front row Rabah Slimani has signed for Irish province Leinster.

The 34-year-old prop won the last of 57 caps for France in 2019, having made his debut for Les Bleus off the bench against New Zealand in 2013.

Slimani has played almost 300 games in the Top 14 with Stade Francais and most recently Clermont Auvergne.

"I'd like to thank Leo and Leinster Rugby for the opportunity to come and join a club with a massive history and a proven record of competing at the very top end of URC and European rugby," Slimani told the Leinster Rugby website.

“I am very excited to also experience a new country and a new city to live and to play my rugby and it is one that my family and I are looking forward to."

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said the signing of Slimani represented "a great addition to the group, not only providing competition for the first team but also helping some of our young front row players learn and develop".

"He is a player we have long admired with vast experience at the highest level of Top 14, European and international rugby," added Cullen of the two-time Challenge Cup winner with Stade.

Slimani joins RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett as new Leinster recruits ahead of next season.

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Fit-again Ireland centre Garry Ringrose will make his Leinster return in Saturday's United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Bulls (15:00 BST).

Ringrose, who has played once since January (for Ireland in the Six Nations) because of a shoulder problem, replaces Jamie Osborne in Leinster's only change from last week's quarter-final win over Ulster.

British and Irish Lions number eight Jack Conan has also recovered from injury and is named on the bench for the game in Pretoria.

If Leinster win and Glasgow beat Munster in the other semi-final, Leinster will face Glasgow at Croke Park in the final on 22 June. If Leinster and Munster both win, the final will be at Thomond Park.

Leinster: Jimmy O'Brien; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan (capt); Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala’alatoa, Ross Molony, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Jamie Osborne.