MAGNERS LEAGUE: Leinster v EdinburghTonight, kick-off - 6.05pm, RDS, Dublin, Live on RTE2 :THOSE WHO pay close attention to the extended Leinster family will be interested in today's run in the RDS.
Coach Joe Schmidt has blended young players with seasoned warriors, with naturally the heavyweight experience going largely into the pack, where Leo Cullen leads the team on his 140th appearance.
Cullen is a vital ingredient, not just because he runs an efficient lineout but his street savvy at the breakdown and the mauls should, along with Scottish international Nathan Hines, give Leinster critical purchase up front.
A backrow combination of last week’s late try-scoring Dominic Ryan, Shane Jennings and Stephen Keogh may not be Schmidt’s first choice hit squad but it’s a chance for Jennings to bring his natural leadership to the game in the way the absent Jamie Heaslip has been doing so forcefully since the start of the season.
In the backline the rejuvenated Shane Horgan will look across from the right wing and see the young talent at Leinster’s disposal. Eoin O’Malley at outside centre, Fergus McFadden inside him, Andrew Conway on the other wing and the combination of Ian Madigan at outhalf and Paul O’Donoghue at nine makes for a lively bundle of energy, all out wanting to make a name for themselves in the absence of their international colleagues.
Will they win though? Well, possibly not, although the likes of Isaac Boss, Rhys Ruddock and Shaun Berne are in the replacements; Berne in harness for the first time since May.
Edinburgh arrive with an atrocious record and haven’t won in Dublin since Donnybrook in November 2005, which even given the reputation of coming to Dublin is scarcely believable. The Scottish capital team have only had one away win, against Italian side Aironi, in their last 11 trips on the road but come to the RDS in the hunt for their fourth win in succession.
Alex Blair, a member of the Scotland 7s team that competed in the Commonwealth Games earlier this month, will start at outhalf in a half-back pairing with his older brother Mike. Edinburgh’s other Blair sibling, David, has been excused the trip after suffering a blow to the head during a midweek training session.
Coach Rob Moffat’s starting line-up shows four personnel changes as well as the two at half-back. Ross Ford and Roddy Grant, rested against Ulster, return at hooker and number eight respectively, while John Houston and Alex Grove will form a new centre pairing.
Chris Paterson is in at fullback and the high scoring strike runner Tim Visser is on the wing, while in the pack there is a ton of experience. The Leinster frontrow, which has Mike Ross and new recruit Clint Newland listed at tighthead prop, alongside Heinke van der Merwe and hooker Richardt Strauss, will have a challenge for supremacy from Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford and company. That will be an important arena.
“I was really happy with how we finished the job against Ulster, and I want to see us taking our chances even more ruthlessly this weekend,” said Edinburgh coach Rob Moffat. “Leinster are always a really tough challenge, especially when they’re at home. But we’ve picked a team that we think is capable of going there and winning.”
Fullback Isa Nacewa appreciates the skilful nature of the opposition but believes the young turks around him today are capable of seizing the moment.
“The young guys are so enthusiastic and keen that they are stepping up themselves in training,” he said. “There are opportunities for them to play this week and it’s up to them to take it. That’s especially the case with someone like Conway, he’s one of the fastest in our squad if not the fastest, so he’s just raring to go, really.”
LEINSTER: I Nacewa; S Horgan, E O'Malley, F McFadden, A Conway; I Madigan, P O'Donoghue; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, C Newland/M Ross, L Cullen (capt), N Hines, D Ryan, S Jennings, S Keogh. Replacements: J Harris-Wright, J McGrath, S Shawe, D Toner, R Ruddock, I Boss, S Berne, D Kearney.
EDINBURGH: C Paterson; J Thompson, A Grove, J Houston, T Visser; A Blair, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross; S McLeod, F McKenzie, N Talei, R Grant (capt), R Rennie. Replacements-A Kelly, K Traynor, D Young, E Lozada, S Newlands, G Laidlaw, D Bishop, M Robertson.
Referee: C Damasco (FIR).
Form(last three games): Leinster – (Oct 23rd) Connacht 6 Leinster 18; (Oct 16th) Saracens 23 Leinster 25; (Oct 9th) Leinster 38 Racing Metro 22; Edinburgh – (Oct 22nd) Edinburgh 21 Ulster 16; (Oct 16th) Edinburgh 27 Northampton 31; (Oct 9th) Cardiff 18 Edinburgh 17).
Betting: Leinster 1/3. Draw 22\1. Edinburgh 9\4.
Verdict: Edinburgh.
