Leinster will look to maintain momentum

RUGBY MAGNERS LEAGUE: Connacht v Leinster: MICHAEL CHEIKA opts for a strong Leinster side with Toulouse in mind and Connacht's Michael Bradley makes eight changes for tonight's Magners League meeting, presumably with Toulon in mind as well as his growing injury concerns.

Both coaches are thinking about French teams and the various strands of European competitions for their refixed match tonight at the Sportsground. And it’s not a difficult concept to understand.

Leinster are within touching distance of a home fixtures in the Magners League play-off series but as a mark of how good European champions they are and also perhaps as a last flourishing gesture before Cheika throws his hat into the Stade Francais ring next season, back-to-back Heineken Cup trophies would sit pretty well all round. And hey presto, the juggling act with players continues.

This game was scheduled for January 2nd but was postponed due to the bad weather and ominously for Leinster the home side’s only win (19-18) over them since 2004 came in this equivalent fixture last season at the Sportsground. Remember Leinster also came into this season as defending Magners League champions and last season took a stellar cast of Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald, Jonathan Sexton and Rocky Elsom to sack the Connacht HQ.

There is also the provincial nature of these ties that make them occasionally difficult to call and even last Sunday, when Munster put out an effective shadow side, they still marched off with the spoils to Connacht’s great disappointment.

With last week’s defeat Connacht’s eight-game unbeaten run at the Sportsground, which reached back to September, came to an end but they retain a strong record of having lost just two of their last six matches in all competitions.

Leinster need just three points to secure a home semi-final and their recent run of form – as well as the 28-point gap that separates the two sides on the league table – suggests that target is well within grasp. Leinster has also won their last seven league games since Newport Gwent Dragons beat them at Rodney Parade in December last year.

A largely experienced back line with Brian O’Driscoll, Girvan Dempsey and a half-back partnership of Shaun Berne and Eoin Reddan accommodates the less-exposed Andrew Conway on the wing and Eoin O’Malley in the centre. Richardt Strauss is set for his first start as he joins CJ van der Linde and Stan Wright in the frontrow with Ireland’s Cian Healy again on the bench. Shane Jennings skippers the side with Leo Cullen also benched along with number eight Jamie Heaslip.

Connacht bring Brian Tuohy, Aidan Wynne, Miah Nikora and scrumhalf Conor Loughlin in to the new backline with Ronan Loughrey and Robbie Morris in the frontrow with Irish hooker Seán Cronin.

Like Leinster, Bradley has also placed a few key players on the bench with Brett Wilkinson, Ian Keatley and Irish flanker Johnny O’Connor hoping to see some game time.

Connacht wanted to play this match after their Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final but Leinster did not agree even though the Magners League organisers were co-operative, so there is more niggle than the usual rivalry.

Though this is a tough game for Leinster it should not trip them up. If Connacht were to win a dark shadow would be cast over Leinster’s ability to travel to the south of France and come back with a much bigger scalp in 10 days’ time.

The points are one thing for Leinster but the momentum is hugely important to put them in prime position to achieve their main goal, a Heineken Cup final.

CONNACHT: G Duffy; B Tuohy, T Nathan, A Wynne, F Carr; M Nikora, C O'Loughlin; R Loughney, S Cronin, R Morris, M Swift, M McCarthy, J Muldoon (capt), M McComish, G Naouou. Replacements: A Flavin, B Wilkinson, B Upton, A Browne, J O'Connor, K Campbell, I Keatly.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; A Conway, B O'Driscoll, E O'Malley, I Nacewa; S Berne, E Reddan; S Wright, R Strauss, CJ van der Linde, N Hines, M O'Kelly, K McLaughlin, S Jennings (capt), S Keogh. Replacements: J Fogarty, C Healy, L Cullen, J Heaslip, P O'Donoghue, I Madigan, S Keogh.

Referee: P Fitzgibbon (IRFU).

Verdict: Leinster.