Leo Cullen has explained his decision to start captain Dan Sheehan at number eight this weekend in a surprise positional switch for the hooker.

Sheehan will lead Leinster against Munster at the Aviva Stadium this weekend, with Rónan Kelleher starting at hooker.

While the Ireland international has previously moved into the back row during games, this will be his first start at number eight — and Cullen believes a full week of preparation will give him a proper opportunity to impress.

Cullen believes that Dan Sheehan’s selection at number eight gives Leinster an opportunity to explore another option while keeping their captain in the starting team.

The decision also allows Kelleher to make just his second start of the season, with Leinster keen to make use of their considerable depth at hooker.

“We would’ve used Dan last year at eight, in a couple of different games, the way the games played out,” Cullen told Off The Ball

“Obviously we’re blessed with some of the hookers that we have. Rónan’s only started one game so far in this block of games to start the season.

“It was an opportunity to see Rónan start, and then we’re like, let’s keep Dan rolling here as well, because he’s doing a great job captaining the team.”

Jack Conan’s absence is another factor, with Cullen confirming that the back-row forward requires shoulder surgery and will be sidelined for a period.

Beyond this weekend’s interprovincial clash, Leinster are assessing their options ahead of a demanding run of fixtures following the November internationals.

“It certainly gives us a look at what this would look like over the Christmas period,” Cullen said.

“You’ve a good chunk of games with Champions Cup and Interpro games and other URC games during that period, which are competitive and always test the strength of your squad.”

Scott Penny provides back-row cover from the bench, while Cullen stressed that this selection differs from Sheehan’s previous switches during matches.

“The other ones are a bit more makeshift on a day, whereas this is a full week’s prep, and you want to give the players a good chance of doing that.”

For Cullen, the experiment is about developing versatility while giving an established player a fresh challenge.