Williams forced to wait

EUROPEAN CUP: Leinster coach Matt Williams won't be in a position until lunch-time today to release a team to play Biarritz in tomorrow's European Cup quarter-final at Lansdowne Road.

A lengthening injury list has means the medical team face a busy 24 hours trying to rehabilitate several players.

Emmet Byrne (cut), Shane Byrne (shoulder), Keith Gleeson (calf), Brian O'Riordan (thumb), Christian Warner (hamstring) and Denis Hickie (calf) are receiving treatment, while captain Reggie Corrigan and centre Shane Horgan, though named in the squad, are unlikely to play.

Williams confirmed: "There's a number of issues like Reggie (Corrigan) being passed by the doctors, and three or four small injuries that meant we've had a lot of people on the sidelines this week. We won't be able to finalise the team until the deadline for the competition (noon).

"The permutations are endless and would waste everyone's time because I can't give you a specific answer. We'll have to wait and see how people get through training. We can't go into this game with people only lasting 15 minutes."

Looking ahead to the match he ventured: "We're going to have a massive, massive battle on our hands. We know them pretty well. They're a very professional organisation that don't quit.

"They're not a team that will cave in when the pressure comes on. They have a lot of guys who have played international rugby and won't be fazed by the big, hostile crowd. It'll be a very, very tough nut to crack."

LEINSTER SQUAD: G Dempsey, P McKenna, D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, P Wallace, S Horgan, D Quinlan, G D'Arcy, N Spooner, C Warner, B O'Meara, B O'Riordan, B Willis, R Corrigan (capt), E Byrne, J Lyne, S Byrne, D Blaney, G Hickie, N Treston, P Coyle, L Cullen, M O'Kelly, A Kearney, E Miller, K Gleeson, V Costello, A McCullen.