Lions will have a real fight on their hands

Celtic League: If Leinster play tonight as they did last week against Celtic Warriors they could easily follow Ulster's poor example when they travelled to Glasgow only to lose to one of the bottom Scottish sides.

Today's opponents, Edinburgh, currently the best of the three Scottish teams and in 10th place in the Celtic League table, will fight hard to hold their position above the other two, Borders and Glasgow.

With only two Scottish teams qualifying for next year's European Cup, the three-way domestic battle is actually a tournament within a tournament.

Leinster need to bear this in mind: rather than prepare to face a side third from the bottom and two places below them, they had better be ready for one desperately hoping to play in Europe's premier event next season.

Still, Edinburgh conspired to lose to the Borders 24-10 last week. Not quite as terrible as Leinster's 16-37 capitulation to Warriors, but clearly the two sides have problems that need sorting out for this match, which is switched from Meadowbank to Murrayfield because of the freezing conditions.

Leinster have moved Felipe Contepomi from outhalf to the centre in one of several changes made by coach Gary Ella. Gary Brown, Brian O'Riordan and Aidan Kearney drop to the bench and are replaced by Matt Leek, who moves to outhalf, Brian O'Mara and Ciaran Potts.

With Victor Costello released by Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan, captain Des Dillon moves to the blindside to accommodate one of the game's more dynamic number eights.

Leinster's defence in the middle of the park last time out was weak, the first-up tackling was bad and the scrum creaked. Even the lineouts occasionally went astray on a night where everything that could have gone wrong did.

Edinburgh, also frustrated by the loss of some players to Scottish international duty, face the Irish side with 11 changes to the side that lost to Borders.

If Leinster can fix the holes around the pitch, they do have strike talent at their disposal in James Norton, a more-up-to-pace Contepomi, Brendan Burke and Costello in loose breaks.

That said, the team has been fragile of late. Few would bet on a Lions victory.

EDINBURGH: D Lee; H Southwell, M Di Rollo, M Dey, C Joiner; A Munro, M Blair; C Smith, D Hall, J Brannigan, N Hines (capt), A Kellock, A Strokosch, S Cross, A Dall. Replacements: A Kelly, T McGee, N Pike, C Harrison, R Lawson. M Clapperton, C Sharman.

LEINSTER: J Norton; J McWeeney, C Warner, F Contepomi, B Burke; M Leek, B O'Meara; P Coyle, G Hickie, S Brophy, B Gissing, C Potts, D Dillon (capt), N Ronan. Replacements: J Moran, D Blaney, A Kearney, S Crawford, B O'Riordan, D O'Shea, G Brown.

Referee: N Whitehouse (Eng)

Edinburgh v Leinster

Murrayfield, 7.30