Ireland's most-famous player, Brian O'Driscoll starts at outside centre, with the Grand Slam-winning skipper one of seven British & Irish Lions in the run-on XV.
Cheika can call upon 14 full internationals in his starting line up, with in-form hooker John Fogarty the only man not to have represented his country.
There are 10 Irish internationals in a cosmopolitan side that also includes, a Fijian in wing Isa Nacewa, a Cook Islander and a South African in props Stan Wright and CJ van der Linde respectively and an Australian-born Scotsman in Nathan Hines.
Club captain Leo Cullen misses out through injury so openside Shane Jennings leads the side in his former Leicester Tigers team-mate's absence.
Ireland cap Cian Healy has been struggling with illness so the young prop faces a late fitness test. If he comes through that test, Healy will take his place on the bench. If not, fellow Ireland international Mike Ross will deputise.
Leinster (vs Ospreys, RDS, Saturday, 6.30pm)
15: Rob Kearney
14: Shane Horgan
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Stan Wright
2: John Fogarty
3: CJ van der Linde
4: Nathan Hines
5: Malcolm O'Kelly
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Jamie Heaslip
Replacements
16: Richardt Strauss
17: Cian Healy / Mike Ross
18: Trevor Hogan
19: Stephen Keogh
20: Paul O'Donohoe
21: Fergus McFadden
22: Girvan Dempsey
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