Munster have pack power and backline class

MAGNERS LEAGUE: Munster v Leinster:IT WOULDN'T take much to make the Munster-Leinster match-ups the leading derby in Irish rugby. There aren't that many to choose from. But for much of the last decade they have assumed an importance quite unlike any other domestic squabble and a cursory glance at the Magners League table shows this evening's collision to be the league's most significant summit meeting to date.

If Munster win, especially, it would effectively push them two results clear and with three of their remaining four games at home would establish them as odds-on favourites to regain a title they last won in 2002-03. That the Heineken Cup quarter-finals are also looming next week makes this fixture ideal preparation – provided everyone emerges unscathed – but for 80 minutes or so under the Thomond Park lights this evening even all those considerations become secondary.

A capacity, near 26,000 attendance makes this the third biggest crowd ever to witness this match-up, and the pity therefore, is that Leinster’s Brian O’Driscoll (neck) and Luke Fitzgerald (shoulder) have been ruled out, and Munster’s Denis Leamy (shoulder) as well. To compound Leinster’s midfield difficulties, Fergus McFadden damaged his hamstring in scoring against Ulster last week, while Eoin O’Malley (groin) has been ruled out for the season. “It would have been a great opportunity for them to get a run in a match like this,” admitted Michael Cheika.

Instead, he has restored Shane Horgan to centre, where he hasn’t played this season, alongside Gordon D’Arcy, with Isa Nacewa on the wing and Rob Kearney moving to left wing with Girvan Dempsey at fullback for the inevitable aerial assault at some juncture. Cheika admits he was seriously tempted to start Johnny Sexton and shift Felipe Contepomi to midfield, and Sexton has done very well off the bench this season. But the Leinster coach is also mindful, “If we’re going to be strong in Thomond Park we need to be strong for 80 minutes.”

CJ van der Linde’s troublesome toe has ruled him out also, but Cheika is hopeful all three will be fit for the Harlequins game. Ollie le Roux has been named on an extended bench, so to speak, given a slight concern about Ronnie McCormack’s availability but having only arrived on Wednesday, Le Roux is not expected to be in the 22.

Munster undoubtedly lose less with their backrow reshuffle. It’s not that Leamy wouldn’t be missed by Munster, just that Niall Ronan comes into this game on the back of a hat-trick and will be highly motivated against his native province. Furthermore, shifting David Wallace to number eight oughtn’t to diminish their go-forward momentum.

The backrow battle is an especially fascinating one, and arguably the players who missed out on the Grand Slam will be even more pumped up. One thinks specifically of Malcolm O’Kelly, Horgan and Dempsey, not to mention Shane Jennings, Leo Cullen, Bernard Jackman and Alan Quinlan, while Keith Earls, Ian Dowling and Ronan also have a mission to impress the Irish management for the summer tour.

Discipline is usually more important than normal in this fixture and if it becomes overtly niggly then history has tended to show Munster usually play it cuter.

No doubt Contepomi and Rocky Elsom will be targeted by Munster, a sign of respect to two of Leinster’s prime sources of go-forward ball, inspiration and points. Admittedly, this is in part because Munster may feel Contepomi can be “got at”, while no less than Sebastien Chabal and Ignacio Fernadez Lobbe before him, the Australian simply represents a big-game hunter for the Munstermen.

But the laughable speculation the Puma might in some way be protecting himself with his remunerative move to Toulon in mind can only be harboured by people who haven’t been watching Contepomi much these last six seasons.

One seriously wonders about the appointment of Christophe Berdos as referee. To judge from the recent Perpignan-Toulouse match, in keeping with most French officials lately Berdos had a laissez-faire approach to players going off their feet at the breakdown – cue constant pile-ups on the floor. Being French, one imagines if it ultimately works to either side’s advantage it will be, eh, to the home team. Eight of the last 10 league meetings have gone to the home side.

While the visitors are the kind of team that could pull off a smash-and-grab raid, their cutting edge has been dulled with the loss of O’Driscoll and Fitzgerald, and in the expectation Munster will have more of the territory one would imagine they will have the pack power to convert close-range pressure into points, as well as the class in their backline.

MUNSTER: P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell capt; A Quinlan, N Ronan, D Wallace. Replacements: D Fogarty, T Buckley, M O'Driscoll, D Ryan, P Stringer, B Murphy, D Hurley.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; I Nacewa, G D'Arcy, S Horgan, R Kearney; F Contepomi, C Whitaker; C Healy, B Jackman, S Wright, L Cullen (capt), M O'Kelly, R Elsom, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Repalcements (from): J Fogarty, O le Roux, R McCormack, T Hogan, C Jowitt, S O'Brien, C Keane, J Sexton, S Keogh.

Referee: Christophe Berdos (FFR).

Forecast: Munster to win.