Leinster may have missed out on the touring Irish bandwagon which is doing the rounds of the other provinces at the moment, but for once they haven't missed out playing an international side. Hence Leinster have probably drawn the most attractive fixture of the lot in hosting Argentina at Donnybrook this evening (kick-off 6.30).
Argentina's midweek draw a week ago, when a couple of late scores salvaged a 25-25 draw for the Scottish A side, and last Saturday's 3123 test win over Scotland at Murrayfield highlights what a quality team the Pumas are.
Leinster don't have a particularly distinguished record against international touring sides, and victory tonight would assuredly eclipse the last such win, 9-6 over the USA five years ago; not to mention the wins over Canada in 1986, Romania in 1980 and Fiji in 1973 which punctuate an otherwise unexceptional record.
Indeed, in their solitary meeting with the Pumas 11 years ago, a Leinster side featuring only two players who didn't go on to represent their country (try-scorer Paul Andrucetti and Emmett O'Rafferty) went down 24-13 at Lansdowne Road.
Leinster's need for an improved performance and a morale boosting win has been heightened by their opening interpro defeats to Munster and Ulster. Although their aggression and desire could not be faulted against Ulster especially, Leinster need to be a good deal more inventive and less wasteful with possession.
A truckload of changes won't help, but even though they are without their five internationals currently in the Irish squad, it still looks a pretty strong side. Amongst the seven internationals in their line-up are a couple of guest players in positions where Leinster have been found wanting, namely Kieron Dawson at openside flanker and Rob Henderson at centre.
Both will be watched closely by the Irish management, as will other World Cup possibilities Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Reggie Corrigan, Bob Casey and a peeved Victor Costello.
Again then, individual performances and the selection of Ireland's World Cup squad looms large on the horizon. True, Dawson is some way short of optimum match fitness after a second hernia operation as recently as three weeks ago, but the paucity of alternative opensides ensures that a decent 40 or 50 minutes would earn the classy London Irish flanker his place.
The demands on the other candidates are more acute, especially as they have drawn a shorter straw than some of their rivals of last Saturday. With the management openly considering the option of picking five props, one of the midfielders could miss out in what increasingly looks like a straight fight between Henderson and Mike Mullins.
Although this is Henderson's first game of the season, one of his penetrating performances off the bench would go some way towards adding to his reputation as Ireland's biggest impact player in recent times.
Horgan is coming from further adrift - indeed he had been ruled out up until his selection for this game last week. Yet who knows what a blinder would do for his chances? Hickie too is vying for one of the last wing berths, and James Topping's display on Saturday puts the onus on the Leinster skipper to some degree.
Much of the performances then tonight will depend on the pack setting up quicker ruck ball, on greater options than Costello's pick-up and charge off the base of the scrum, on a quicker service from Leinster's debutant former All Black scrum-half Stu Forster and better option taking from Barry Everitt.
Admittedly, Argentina include only two of the team that recorded a first ever Test victory on British soil last Saturday, namely hooker Agustin Canalda and flanker Rolando Martin, as well as replacement out-half Felipe Contepomi. Furthermore, there are only four of last Tuesday's midweek side, and this provides a debut on tour for the bulk of their dirt-trackers.
But last Saturday's win was significant, for this tour marks the real signs of the impact of former All Black coach Alex Wyllie. Although still technically labelled as assistant coach in this, his third year with the Pumas, Wyllie has clearly had much more of a hands-on role following the recent dismissal of his former superior, Jose Luis Imhoff. What's more, as an essentially part-time team, they are benefitting from a tour that effectively, if briefly, equates to professionalism.
Most of the current squad have represented the Pumas before and, no less than Leinster, at least five or six of them are vying for one of the 30 World Cup places from which the current 34-man squad will be picked from. And nothing concentrates the mind like impending disaster.
Leinster: E Farrell; J McWeeney, R Henderson, S Horgan, D Hickie (capt); B Everitt, S Forster; R Corrigan, S Byrne, G Halpin, B Casey, B Cusack, D O'Brien, V Costello, L Toland. Replacements: P McKenna, G Gannon, D Hegarty, L Toland, G Fulcher, P Smyth, S Baretto.
Argentina: I Corleto; F Soler, G Camardon, J Fernandez Miranda, E Jurado; F Contepomi, N Fernandez Miranda; F Diaz Alberdi, A Canalda, M Scelzo, R Perez, G Ugartemendia, R Martin, A Petrilli, M Ruiz.
The Lawrence Dallaglio affair took a dramatic twist last night when a drugs charge against the former England captain was dropped.
Dallaglio had been due to answer two charges when he appears before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing at Twickenham tomorrow. He will still face a disrepute allegation but the charge that he took recreational drugs during a party celebrating the Lions' Test series victory over South Africa two years ago has been shelved.
The RFU last night issued a statement released with the agreement of their legal representatives and Dallaglio's defence team.
"The disciplinary officer of the RFU has decided not to proceed with charge one against Dallaglio at the disciplinary hearing fixed for Wednesday, August 25th," it read.
"The charge was laid after the disciplinary officer received legal advice from a QC.
"However, new evidence has come to light and the disciplinary officer of the RFU now accepts that the charge should not be brought.
"The charge of bringing the game into disrepute will be proceeded with on Wednesday."
