Leinster are back in action against Glasgow Warriors tonight. Michael Cheika’s table-toppers will be looking for an eighth straight league win, however they will be wary of a Glasgow side who have beaten them in their last two meetings.
MAGNERS LEAGUE: Friday, March 21
LEINSTER v GLASGOW WARRIORS, The RDS, 7.30pm (live Setanta Sports)
Team News: The Leinster team to face Glasgow Warriors has been bolstered by the return of a number of Ireland internationals.
In the Leinster front row, the province’s Bank of Ireland Player of the Month Ollie Le Roux partners Stan Wright and Bernard Jackman, who is one of six returning Ireland players from the recent Six Nations championship.
Chris Whitaker partners Felipe Contepomi at half-back, while Leo Cullen returns from injury to captain the side and links up with Malcolm O’Kelly in the second row.
Shane Horgan is named in a strong outside back-line alongside fellow Ireland stars Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney, who is named at full-back.
Keith Gleeson, who recently announced his retirement from the game at the end of the current campaign, is named in the back row alongside Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip.
Two vacancies have been left on the replacements bench which will be confirmed closer to kick-off.
But one player who has been included is Jonathan Sexton who also returns from a hand injury sustained away to Leicester in January.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors have made four changes to the side that ran out 9-6 victors over reiging league champions the Ospreys at Firhill three weeks ago.
In the backs, there are two changes. Thom Evans returns to match fitness and replaces his older brother Max on the left wing, while Colin Gregor comes in for Dan Parks who is rested following Six Nations duty.
In the pack, Dougie Hall will don the number 2 jersey and Dan Turner lines up alongside Andy Newman in the second row as a direct replacement for injured club captain Alastair Kellock.
In the absence of Kellock, New Zealander Daryl Gibson will take over captaincy duties for the trip to Dublin.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Shane Horgan, Christian Warner, Michael Berne, Luke Fitzgerald; Felipe Contepomi, Chris Whitaker; Ollie Le Roux, Bernard Jackman, Stan Wright, Leo Cullen (capt), Malcolm O’Kelly, Shane Jennings, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Brian Blaney, Cian Healy/Stephen Knoop, Trevor Hogan, Stephen Keogh/Cameron Jowitt, Chris Keane, Jonathan Sexton, Gary Brown.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Bernardo Stortoni; Lome Fa’atau, Graeme Morrison, Daryl Gibson (capt), Thom Evans; Colin Gregor, Sam Pinder; Ed Kalman, Dougie Hall, Moray Low, Andy Newman, Dan Turner, James Eddie, Donnie Macfadyen, Johnnie Beattie.
Replacements: Eric Milligan, Justin Va’a, Opeta Palepoi, Richie Vernon, Ruaridh Jackson, Scott Barrow, Hefin O’Hare.
Referee: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Say What: Michael Cheika (Leinster) – “We’d got a lot of integration to do because our international players only came back to training a couple of days ago. They need to have some time off.
“So it’s important that we keep things simple and very strong on the basics of our game. Glasgow will have had some of the same issues as ourselves in terms of not having played for three weeks.
“It’s so clichéd but we have tried hard to block off everything else around the game that is in front of us. We know that they have given us so much trouble before. They’re a strong running team, play an offload game if they’re allowed to.
“Defensively, we have made some adjustments to the way we’re defending too so that the integration of the defensive to the attack is important.
“We want to make sure our ball-winning, our set piece and our starter-play are in place. If we can keep looking blindly at the next game, like it’s the only game left, then I think we can get what we want and that’s the only way that we’re looking at Glasgow.”
Sean Lineen (Glasgow Warriors) – “Our last game against Leinster was a close one at Firhill and we only clinched it with a score very late on, so this weekend is going to be tough, especially against the ;eague leaders.
“We are missing a few key players this weekend, but we have trained well over the international break and all the boys are looking forward to getting back to business.”
Top Scorers: 2007/08 Magners League – Points: Leinster: Felipe Contepomi 71; Glasgow Warriors: Dan Parks 90; Tries: Leinster: Luke Fitzgerald 5; Glasgow Warriors: Sam Pinder 3.
PREVIOUS LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, November 26, 1999 – Glasgow 29 Leinster 17, Hughenden
Friday, August 17, 2001 – Leinster 39 Glasgow 11, Donnybrook
Friday, December 7, 2001 – Semi-Final – Leinster 35 Glasgow 13, Lansdowne Road
Friday, September 6, 2002 – Glasgow 25 Leinster 21, Hughenden
Friday, October 31, 2003 – Glasgow 10 Leinster 31, Hughenden
Friday, April 2, 2004 – Leinster 31 Glasgow 30, Donnybrook
Friday, November 26, 2004 – Leinster 22 Glasgow 16, Donnybrook
Saturday, April 16, 2005 – Glasgow 23 Leinster 30, Hughenden
Saturday, September 10, 2005 – Leinster 26 Glasgow 21, Donnybrook
Sunday, May 7, 2006 – Glasgow 18 Leinster 21, Firhill
Friday, November 10, 2006 – Leinster 38 Glasgow 23, Donnybrook
Friday, April 6, 2007 – Glasgow 26 Leinster 20, Hughenden
Friday, October 12, 2007 – Glasgow 21 Leinster 17, Firhill
MATCH FACTS:
– Table-topping Leinster continue to set the pace in the Magners League and have won their last seven matches in the competition since drawing 16-16 in Ulster on October 26
– Leinster have suffered just one home defeat in their last 29 matches in all competitions – a 52-23 defeat to the Llanelli Scarlets in the Magners League on October 5
– The only Scottish side ever to have beaten Leinster in Dublin in a competitive match is Edinburgh, who have done so twice in the league in 2003 and 2005
– Glasgow Warriors ended a four-game losing run with victory at home to the Ospreys last time out. The Warriors’ only away win in their last nine trips was a 18-15 success at Viadana in the Heineken Cup on January 12
– Glasgow’s last win in Ireland was a 24-10 triumph over Ulster at Ravenhill on April 27. Glasgow have won the last two matches they have played against Leinster and are going for a first ever season’s double over the Irish province, having won 21-17 at Firhill in October
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