Time for Ella's men to show just what they're capable of

Celtic League/Previews: It hardly constitutes a crisis but to find Leinster, who play Cardiff in the Arms Park tonight (7.05, TG4), languishing at the bottom of the Celtic League table is disconcerting for a squad with ambition.

There are mitigating factors. The implementation of different patterns, offensive and defensive under new coach Gary Ella, the absence of a dozen first-choice players and the obvious bedding in period for emerging talent.

Leinster's three defeats to date have been by a single score, suggesting that for all their travails they remain competitive.

Of greater import, though, is the fact the Irish province has surrendered big leads in two of the three games, a pattern replicated in the Celtic Cup quarter-final last weekend when leading 20-7 at the interval against Ulster.

Injuries deprive Ella of Gordon D'Arcy, Christian Warner and Kieran Lewis, the latter possibly for a couple of months. James Norton starts at full back and Gary Brown continues in the centre.

The Ulster match highlighted substandard facets of play, not least the scrum, where the introduction of Peter Coyle mid-match allowed Leinster to "survive" their own put-in. Scrum guru Roly Meates will have addressed the problem but a quick solution, with Emmet Byrne not fully rehabilitated and the promising John Lyne on a steep learning curve, isn't guaranteed.

Indiscipline (yellow cards) and the concession of too many penalties will be a concern for Ella, so, too, the fact several players are operating below standard.

It's not all doom and gloom, however, with young players like Brendan Burke, Gavin Hickie, Brian O'Riordan, Des Dillon and Shane Jennings delivering on underage promise.

Leo Cullen, a hugely successful underage captain, will need to galvanise those around him. There is no short-cut to experience but Leinster possess the wherewithal to be better than results suggest.

Cardiff, in the same Pool Three as tonight's opponents in the Heineken European Cup, make seven changes from the side easily beaten by Edinburgh (33-16) last weekend, three positional and bring in Matt Allen (centre), Darren Crompton (loosehead prop), Andy Moore (second row) and Robin Sowden-Taylor (number eight).

The Welsh side could politely be described as mercurial, excellent when accounting for Connacht at home but distinctly average in their other two league matches.

CARDIFF: D van Vuuren; N Walne, J Robinson, M Allen, C Morgan; N Robinson, R Powell; D Crompton, A Lewis (capt), B Evans; J Brownrigg, A Moore, D Baugh, R Sowden-Taylor, N Thomas. Replacements: J Yapp, G Williams, D McShane, R Appleyard, J Malpas, A Moore, G McCarthy.

LEINSTER: J Norton; J McWeeney, G Brown, D Quinlan, B Burke; M Leek, B O'Riordan; J Lyne, G Hickie, E Byrne; L Cullen (capt), B Gissing; A McCullen, D Dillon, S Jennings. Replacements: P Coyle, D Blaney, A Kearney, N Breslin/N Ronan, B O'Meara, J Downey, D O'Shea.

Referee: D Changleng (Scotland).

Leading points scorers: Cardiff - Nicky Robinson 38; Leinster - Brian O'Meara 20. Leading try scorers (Celtic League): Cardiff - Nick MacLeod 2; Leinster - Gordon D'Arcy, Brendan Burke 2 each. Last time out: Cardiff - lost 33-16 (a) to Edinburgh; Leinster - drew 23-23 (a) to Ulster.

Verdict: Leinster.