Leinster dare not let title hopes slip away

MAGNERS LEAGUE/Llanelli v Leinster:ESSENTIALLY, THIS weekend is the beginning of the end of this year's Magners League. A win for Leinster in Stradey Park today would build on their 10-point cushion at the top of the table and the championship would then be theirs to let slip from their grasp over the remaining five matches.

But Llanelli are not about to acquiesce. The second-placed side have invited back a selection of their Welsh Grand Slam winners, and after their encouraging win over Cardiff Blues last week they seem in confident form.

These are two sides well matched. Llanelli realise this is a chance to strengthen their title prospects; Leinster hope to maintain the buffer zone between them and the rest.

Leinster, though, have opted to start without Girvan Dempsey. The news the Ireland fullback would be available was greeted with general relief. But coach Michael Cheika has gone with the more attack-minded Rob Kearney at 15 and left Dempsey, who had been out for some weeks with a hip injury, on the bench.

Few could argue with Cheika. While Dempsey was unfortunate to get hurt during the Six Nations, the younger and more mercurial Kearney staked his claim and Leinster have rewarded him.

Cheika has also decided to go with Luke Fitzgerald and last week's scorer of two tries, Shane Horgan, on the wings, with Felipe Contepomi and Michael Berne the two inside players.

The brilliant Puma will be the inventive side of that centre pairing, and the hope will be he can tune Fitzgerald, Horgan and Kearney into his occasionally idiosyncratic wavelength.

The wily Chris Whitaker returns to partner Jonathan Sexton at halfback.

Up front, Cheika fields a massively experienced second row in Malcolm O'Kelly and Leo Cullen, both of whom are reaching milestones. O'Kelly becomes the most capped Leinster player of all time when he lines out for his 140th appearance, while today's captain, Cullen, earns his 100th Leinster cap and that despite spending two years at Leicester.

In Cheika's third change from the side that beat Glasgow Warriors 34-18 last week, Stephen Keogh starts in the back row alongside Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip.

Llanelli add two internationals to their starting 15 among four changes to the team that trounced Cardiff. The flying Mark Jones returns to the wing in place of Nathan Brew, and the Scotland international Scott McLeod adds mettle to the second row, replacing Adam Eustace. There are also changes at prop: Phil John displaces Iestyn Thomas, and Bruce Douglas comes in on the other side for the suspended Australian Maori Deacon Manu.

Llanelli won their last five Magners League games at Stradey Park and you have to go back to the beginning of September for their last home defeat; on that occasion they lost to the Dragons.

But Leinster arrive on something of a streak, having won their last eight matches in the competition and lost only once to a Welsh side this season, 23-52 in the RDS to today's opposition.

That was last October during the final weeks of the World Cup, when Leinster lined out with just seven of the players who start today. Kearney, Fitzgerald, Heaslip, Cullen, Sexton, Bernard Jackman and Jennings were all part of that sorry outing, Leinster's worst defeat of the campaign. In fact no other team has shipped as many as 50 points in the Magners League this season.

Leinster will be better today but this match could put a severe dent in their title ambitions.

LLANELLI: M Stoddart; D James, R King, G Evans, M Jones; S Jones, D Peel (capt); P John, M Schwalger, B Douglas; L Reed, S McLeod; D Jones, G Thomas, A Popham. Replacements: B Broster, M Rees, A Eustace, N Thomas, G Cattle, C Thomas, M Watkins, R Priestland, J Bater.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; S Horgan, M Berne, F Contepomi, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, C Whitaker; O le Roux, B Jackman, S Wright; L Cullen (capt), M O'Kelly; S Keogh, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: B Blaney, C Healy/S Knoop, T Hogan, C Jowitt/K Gleeson, C Keane, C Warner, G Dempsey.

Referee: P Fitzgibbon (Ireland).

Verdict: Llanelli win.