Leinster seek an opening night for once

FEW SQUADS, in fact no squads in this league, contain the same depth as Leinster. So it is that the European champions can take the hit of being without 16 players – a dozen of whom featured against the All Blacks – more readily than most.

Hence, opportunity knocks on opening night, notably for Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken. Conway is not the only one frustrated by the injury-bedevilled slow-burning start to what had looked a prodigious career. Pace and game-breaking abilities like his don’t come along often but, finally benefiting from a pre-season without niggles or underage tournaments, the Blackrock speedster is primed to hit the ground running.

The same is true of last year’s Connacht recruits, Jamie Hagan and Fionn Carr, and Dominic Ryan, another ambitious and frustrated young talent. Part of this is also due to the extraordinary competition for places.

All that said and done, September is often Leinster’s most trying month and, away for the fifth year running, they seek their first win on opening night since 2007. And by contrast Simon Easterby welcomes back most of his Welsh front-liners with Liam Williams, George North, Scott Williams, Tavis Knoyle and Aaron Shingler returning.

Nor does Joe Schmidt have much in the way of experience to spring from the bench. Nor, finally, would the selection of the less than convincing Scottish referee Neil Paterson inspire confidence in the prospects of an away win.

SCARLETS: L Williams; G North, G Maule, S Williams, A Fenby; A Thomas, T Knoyle; R Jones, K Owens, D Manu; G Earle, R Kelly; A Shingler, J Turnbull, R McCusker. Replacements: M Rees, P John, S Lee, S Timani, K Murphy, G Davies, R Priestland, J Davies.

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; A Conway, B Macken, N Reid, F Carr; I Madigan, I Boss; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, J Hagan; D Browne, D Toner; D Ryan, S Jennings, L Auva’a. Replacements: A Dundon, J McGrath, M Moore, T Denton, J Murphy, J Cooney, C O’Shea, D Hudson.

Referee: Neil Paterson (SRU).

Forecast: Scarlets to win.