Forwards must build platform for success

PREVIEW/Pool Four: Leinster coach Declan Kidney is a disciple of statistical analysis, thorough in his pursuit of searching out that little psychological edge to fine-tune his team's mental sharpness.

All week he has hammered home that the Irish province must embrace today's game with the correct attitude. There can be no room for complacency.

Whatever the travails of the Italian national side in the Six Nations Championship, Benetton Treviso's history in the European Cup is adorned with scalps of teams that underestimated them. The Italian champions have 11 victories in this tournament spread over seven campaigns and the humbled include Llanelli, Bourgoin, Pontypridd, Harlequins and even the holders Wasps.

The beautifully-appointed little stadium in Treviso may beguile the visitor but there is nothing gentle about the ferocity with which Benetton defend their rugby citadel. This is not an opportune time to be facing the Italians, it would be far preferable to travel later in the competition when their interest may be reduced to the academic variety.

Treviso coach, the teak-tough former All Black Craig Green, will have emphasised to his players the opportunity they have today. They have won all eight matches in the Italian Championship this season and face a team on whom they can claim to have the edge, purely in terms of game time together.

Green, though, is less than enamoured of the staple opposition in domestic competition. "We have not been extended week in, week out in the Italian Championship. If we play half a game well then we are winning by 40 points and it's hard to motivate the guys in the second half when you're that far ahead and have already secured a bonus point.

"It doesn't help our overall rugby and that is a consideration coming into a game like this."

Leinster's lead-in has been hit by the unavailability of frontline players for the early part of the season and when they did return, there were only moments of quality interspersed with some low-grade performances.

Leinster will always be damned for failing to reach certain standards of play given the quality of their squad. Kidney has alluded to the fact that the province must learn to win ugly, that every try cannot be a thing of great beauty and that the key to consistently winning matches is the ability to perform the basics and interpret and implement the game plan intelligently.

He referred to 'cuteness' and he wasn't referring to their former feline nom-de-plume.

The Treviso side contains 11 internationals (nine Italian, one American and one South African), is captained by Alessandro Troncon and boasts a liberal sprinkling of foreign talent, including South African- born Franco Smith, Marius Goosen, Marco Wentzel and Gerhard Klerck (USA international). The last two named have been added to the squad this season to lend a little more testosterone to the grunt section.

In Enrico Pavanello, Silvio Orlando and the excellent Sergio Parisse, the home side possess a high-quality backrow in a muscular pack. The Italian side won't simply adopt a trench warfare attitude, as Munster would attest to.

Leinster's remit is relatively straightforward: they must build the foundations up front before the interior designers (backs) can have their way. Green expects Leinster to keep it tighter than their stellar backline would suggest.

Reggie Corrigan will have to elicit a performance from the pack that hasn't been seen so far this season. The half-backs, Brian O'Meara and David Holwell, will have to be precise and assertive.

The talent in the three-quarter line needs little elaboration but Leinster will have to be clever in exploiting their collective and individual quality. There are no mitigating circumstances in this equation: Leinster must win.

The influence of Welsh referee Nigel Owens could play a large part in the final outcome. Italian sides have a tendency to concede penalties but that will only come if the visitors apply sufficient pressure. Leinster's season begins in earnest today.

BENETTON TREVISO: B Williams; D Dallan, W Pozzebon, M Goosen, S Legg; F Smith, A Troncon (capt); G Faliva, F Ongaro, S Costanzo; G Klerck, M Wentzel; E Pavanello, S Parisse, S Orlando.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, D Hickie; D Holwell, B O'Meara; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, E Byrne; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; A McCullen, V Costello, S Jennings. Replacements: G Hickie, R Nebbett, B Gissing, E Miller, G Easterby, F Contepomi, G Brown.

Referee: N Owens (Wales).

Verdict: Leinster to win.

Benetton Treviso v Leinster, Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Today, 1.30 Irish time