Munster to sharpen set-piece game plan

RUGBY/Celtic League previews: No O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Horgan, Dempsey, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Horan, O'Connell, O'Kelly, O'Callaghan, Foley, Quinlan or the injured Gleeson, but even so the cast list for the renewal of rivalry between these two is still quite impressive.

Christian Cullen for starters is probably worth the admission money alone in his current, revitalised form, not to mention the other 13 internationals in the starting line-ups, as well as the welcome return of Denis Hickie in a strong Leinster bench.

All across the pitch there are striking match-ups - back row being uppermost amongst them - and they are only subplots to the main issue of Celtic League points, prospective Heineken Cup seedings and bragging rights.

Even the coaches have swapped allegiances since the Celtic League final three years ago and Declan Kidney almost echoes the sentiments of Alan Gaffney when maintaining, "There's no reason why it shouldn't be a very good game."

Gaffney's time at Leinster and now Munster has only hardened his view "this has definitely been the one for me, even though Ulster have a great tradition against the other provinces.

"I always get excited about this fixture. It's like Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, and it is very healthy."

Typically, Kidney seems a bit uncomfortable with any spotlight being on him this week, "I'm not going to be playing, am I?".

Leinster have been playing closer to their potential so far.Nevertheless, Munster's disappointment over their failure to register a win thus far, the release of certain internationals and, indeed, the Kidney factor, are all liable to bring about an improvement in the visitors.

Leinster's quintet of Test players have a relative smattering of caps between them, whereas Munster's are strikingly more experienced. Furthermore, the return from the Irish camp of John Hayes and Frankie Sheahan to the Munster front row, as well as David Wallace - Reggie Corrigan and Shane Byrne have been kept back - does seem to sway the scales in the visitors' favour.

Munster's set-pieces have been their undoing to date. None of their five put-ins against Connacht were much of a platform for them, while they lost five of their 13 throws, and of the other eight Gaffney reckons only one was truly usable.

Leinster's lineout, and especially their lineout maul, has been potent although their scrum has survived by hook or by crook. Though Sheahan and Hayes can't be in vintage form, they'll surely stiffen up Munster's set-pieces.

And as they've shown in both league outings thus far, in broken play, off counter-attacks or on the few occasions they've been able to build through the phases, Munster have had the sharpest cutting edge of any province, with Cullen, Anthony Horgan and Shaun Payne full of running.

Then again, you sense this gritty, ever-maturing Leinster side mightn't be inclined to let it become too footloose and fancy free; and they've clearly revelled in the role of underdogs to date.

In Ulster, they had to defend for their lives, watch Ulster fritter away chances and then take all the opportunities that came their way. They may well have to again today.

Munster seem to have more scoring pace and creativity out wide, and Donnybrook has become a profitable hunting ground. They lost on their first visit in December 1992, but have won five and drawn once on their in their last six treks here since.

LEINSTER: J Norton; J McWeeney, C Warner, D Quinlan, G Brown; D McAllister, B O'Meara; E Byrne, G Hickie, P Coyle, L Cullen (Capt), B Gissing, A McCullen, D Dillon, S Jennings. Replacements: R Nebbett, D Blaney, E Miller, V Costello, G Easterby, K Lewis, D Hickie.

MUNSTER: C Cullen; J Kelly, S Payne, J Holland, A Horgan, P Burke, E Reddan; G McIlwham, F Sheahan, J Hayes, T Bowman, T Hogan, D Leamy, J Williams, D Wallace. Replacements: F Roche, J Flannery, D Ryan, S Keogh, M Prendergast, J Storey, R Henderson.

Referee: Hugh Watkins (WRU).

Last five meetings: (00-01) Interpro - Leinster 16 Munster 16; (01-02) CL final - Leinster 24 Munster 20; Intpro - Munster 6 Leinster 6. (03-04) CL - Leinster 8 Munster 15; CL - Munster 24 Leinster 13.

Overall head-to-heads (Interpros and/or Celtic League): Played 62, Leinster 28 wins, 5 draws, Munster 29 wins.

Biggest wins: Leinster - 32-0 in 1958/59 at Lansdowne Road. Munster - 36-14 in 1994/95 at Donnybrook.

Forecast: Munster to win.

Also playing: today: Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Cardiff Blues, the Gnoll (5.30); Glasgow Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Old Anniesland (7.30).

Bye week - The Borders.