Depleted Leinster braced for tough Borders test

The Borders v Leinster: On paper, this might at first glance seem like the most lob-sided match of the season given the top seeded side from the European Cup pool stages are taking on the team propping up the Celtic League. But a number of factors have contrived to make this a potentially awkward assignment for Declan Kidney's team.

For starters, their line-up will be without a dozen players who will return to Ireland's pre-Championship training camps tomorrow evening while Shane Jennings (unlucky not to be called up to the national squad) has temporarily joined Des Dillon and Keith Gleeson on the sidelines. Hence, David Holwell and Victor Costello are likely to be the only players from Kidney's starting cup side when they return to Celtic duties this evening.

At least eight of the side which were on duty the night Leinster's backs skated in for six tries in a richly entertaining 50-13 win over the Borders last September won't be playing tonight. That remains one of only two occasions Leinster have recorded a try-scoring bonus point and the Borders aren't quite the whipping boys that might suggest either.

For starters, the scoreline did them few favours after a confident first half-hour, when they looked like a side who knew what they were about and having finally ended a run of 13 successive defeats, they are now chasing a hat-trick of home wins following defeats of Cardiff and Edinburgh.

Their interest in Europe having been ended by Clermont Auvergne in December, this is the Borders' first game since New Year's Eve and only their second in over five weeks. The threat of extinction has probably intensified their togetherness and their coach Steve Bates suggested that his side, despite their enforced idleness, were highly motivated.

"There are a number of factors firing the guys right now. First there is the prospect of playing against the only unbeaten team in the Heineken Cup.

"Second, there are places up for grabs in the Scotland team and third the players feel there is a need to show what professional rugby is all about.

"We've worked hard in the gym over the past two weeks and think there is a marked improvement. We've trained well on the pitch and are feeling very positive about playing Leinster. They beat us in Dublin but for the first 20 minutes of that game we were very competitive. We're a better team now and have shown at home that we're capable of winning," said Bates.

Whether or not they can win the league, Leinster are mindful of the need for a top-four finish to secure a home quarter-final in the Celtic Cup, an end-of-season competition which could provide invaluable match practice for either themselves or Munster were they to reach the European Cup final.

"This will be a very tricky match," admitted manager Paul McNaughton. "They've got all of their international squad players for the game and have effectively had a mid-season break, and they've also won their last two home games."

THE BORDERS: S Moffat; N Walker, C MacRae, C Hore, S Danielli; A Warnock, C Cusiter; P Thomson (capt), R Ford, B Douglas, S MacLeod, C Stewart, J Dalziel, S Gray, A Miller. Replacements: R Haggerstone, T McGee, G Cross, M Blair, J Weston, A Dickson, G Morton.

LEINSTER (probable): F Contepomi; J Norton, K Lewis, D Quinlan, G Brown; D Holwell, B O'Meara; J Lyne, D Blaney, R Nebitt, B Gissing, C Potts, A McCullen, V Costello, N Ronan.

Referee: Neil Ballard (WRU).

Previous meetings: (02-03) The Borders 23 Leinster 18. (03-04) The Borders 21 Leinster 26; Leinster 35 The Borders 12. (04-05) Leinster 50 The Borders 13.

Celtic League Formguide: The Borders L L W L W. Leinster L W W W L.

Leading try scorers: The Borders - Charlie Hore 3. Leinster - Gary Brown 4, James Norton 3.

Leading points scorers: The Borders: Charlie Hore 79. Leinster: David Holwell 55.

Forecast: Leinster to win.

Also playing: Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Rugby, Rodney Parade (2.30).

Bye week: Munster.