Matt O’Connor admits it would be foolish to underestimate a depleted Benetton Treviso side when Leinster travel to Italy on Sunday. While their hosts are missing a handful of Italian internationals, Leinster welcome flanker Jordi Murphy and winger Dave Kearney into the team after the duo finally shake off long-term injuries. Kearney’s arrival sees Luke Fitzgerald shift to outside centre, with Noel Reid inside him and Luke McGrath and Jimmy Gopperth retained as half-backs. Richardt Strauss returns from his try-scoring display with Ireland last weekend to start at hooker while Kevin McLaughlin captains the side from the back row and Jamie Hagan is among the replacements after arriving on loan earlier in the week. Leinster have won their last four fixtures in all tournaments since tripping up to Munster at the Aviva Stadium at the start of October. The Leinstermen have also won their last 16 matches against Italian opponents in the GUINNESS PRO12 and the two sides have met on ten previous occasions in all tournaments with Treviso's solitary victory being 29-13 at Stadio Monigo in the PRO12 in September 2010. But despite the formbook suggesting O’Connor’s side will return to Ireland victorious, he has warned against any complacency. “They’ll be missing a handful of guys who are away with Italy but it’s an awkward place to go,” he told the Irish Independent. “We got away with a one-point with there last year and we had to work for every single point of that, so we’ll be making sure that we put out a quality performance. “That’s the key for us. If we can continue to build on the last few, good performances in the league and get a good result over there probably puts us in a good place leading into the Ospreys and Europe. “That’s the focus for the last couple of weeks – making sure that we keep working hard and growing our game to put out a quality performance and get the points that we need to.” Benetton Treviso have lost their last dozen matches in all tournaments, since their 45-27 victory at home to Newport Gwent Dragons in the PRO12 on 12th April. Treviso’s most recent win over an Irish province came in October 2013 at home to Connacht, but since then they have lost all nine such encounters scoring just two tries in their last eight. Ludovico Nitoglia will make his 100th appearance for Treviso, starting on the left wing, while flanker Dean Budd features for the first time in this GUINNESS PRO12 season. And Joe Carlisle regains the No.10 jersey, moving Sam Christie to inside centre, with Corniel Van Zyl captaining the side from the second row. Follow us on Facebook, join the conversation on Twitter, sign up to our YouTube channel for extensive match highlights and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates on the GUINNESS PRO12 At Stadio Monigo, 3.30pm. local time (2.30pm Dublin & UK) Live on Nuvolari and Sky Sports Referee: Neil Paterson (SRU, 64th competition game) Assistant Referees: Claudio Blessano, Andrea Spadoni (both FIR) Citing Commissioner: Alberto Recaldini (FIR) TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)
