Leinster Lion coach Gary Ella has finalised his side for the game tonight (7.45) against Sale Sharks with Matt Leek at out-half and Eric Miller at number 8.
Leinster Lion coach Gary Ella has finalised his side for the game tonight (7.45) against Sale Sharks with Matt Leek at out-half and Eric Miller at number 8.
Leek makes his Heineken Cup debut at the expense of Christian Warner who failed a fitness test on his quad injury yesterday but Miller was passed fit after missing the Ulster game with a shoulder injury. Aidan McCullen, who tweaked a hamstring in training on Tuesday is ruled out and Des Dillon will take his place on the bench.
Sale Sharks wing Steve Hanley returns from injury to take his place on the left-wing. Hanley’s inclusion means Lions and England star Jason Robinson moves to fullback at the expense of Vaughan Going, who drops to the bench.
Sale arrive for this game on foot of a 26-10 defeat by London Wasps last weekend and their Heineken Cup form reads played two, won one lost one. That victory came in the opener at home to Cardiff when they won 26-24 and they followed that with a 31-3 defeat awy in Biarritz. On that sort of form guideline they can expect a torrid time this evening in Dublin 4.
Leinster were more convincing against Cardiff than the final 24-19 scoreline suggests and as this competition progresses, it’s stronger these Lions will get.
At the moment they lead Pool 3 with nine from a possible ten points and this evening they can add to that tally if they can impose themselves up front and contain the threat that the English side pose with their lively backline.
Leinster: Girvan Dempsey; John McWeeney, Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Gordon D’Arcy; Matt Leek, Brian O’Meara; Reggie Corrigan capt, Shane Byrne, Peter Coyle; Malcolm O’Kelly, Ben Gissing; Eric Miller, Keith Gleeson,
Victor Costello.
Replacements: Jason Moran, Gavin Hickie, Des Dillon, Shane Jennings, Brian O’Riordan, Brendan Burke, David Quinlan.
Sale Sharks: Jason Robinson; Mark Cueto, Chris Mayor, Graeme Bond, Steve Hanley; Charlie Hodgson, Bryan Redpath; Andrew Sheridan, Andrew Titterrell, Stuart Turner; Chris Jones, Dean Schofield; Jason White, Stuart Pinkerton, Alex Sanderson.capt
Replacements: Matt Cairns, Kevin Yates, Barry Stewart, Iain Fullarton, Magnus Lund, Vaughan Going, Richard Wigglesworth
Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (WRU)
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