POOL A

Bridgend V Leinster

Brewery Field (5.30)

Delayed transmission on Eurosport at 7.30.

A fifth straight win will guarantee Leinster a quarter-final and also set them up nicely for a home draw with struggling Pontypridd to come to Donnybrook on Tuesday. It's a measure of their improved strength in depth that no risks are being taken with Gordon D'Arcy, Nathan Spooner and Leo Cullen, so Peter McKenna, Andy Dunne and Trevor Brennan come to no apparent detriment.

Bridgend are missing centre John Devereux and Canadian test prop John Thiel, and have a hooking crisis due to the unavailability of the injured Chris Ferris and Ben Phillips, while Joe Clarke has returned to Sale and fourth choice Andrew Joy is doubtful with a back injury. This compounds the persistent fragility of their tight five, a problem which the raft of notable summer signings has failed to adress, according to Bridgend's critics.

Backed by multi-millionaire Leighton Samuel, who owns a local picture framing company and wiped out their £600,000 sterling debt two years ago and has ploughed £3 million into the club, Bridgend have begun inconsistently. One of their high-profile recruits, Dafydd James, comes face to face with Denis Hickie, giving the latter a chance to prove a point, perhaps.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; D Hickie, A Magro, S Horgan, P McKenna; A Dunne, B O'Meara; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, E Byrne, T Brennan, M O'Kelly, E Miller, V Costello, K Gleeson. Replacements - P Coyle, G Hickie, A McCullen, L Toland, B Willis, S Keogh, D Quinlan.

BRIDGEND: S Taumalolo; G Jones, G Thomas, A Durston, D James; C Rees, H Harris; C Loader, AN Other, C Noon, P Clapham, R Bryan, N Budgett, M Molitika.

Previous meetings: None. Form guide: Leinster - 39-11 v Glasgow (h), 19-17 v Llanelli (a), 55-13 v Ebbw Vale (h), 31-9 v Ulster (h); Bridgend - 19-27 v Pontypridd (h), 25-16 v Swansea (a), 50-15 v Glasgow (h), 3-36 v Llanelli (a); Leading points scorers: Bridgend - Cerith Rees 52; Leinster - Nathan Spooner 26;

Referee: Steve Lander (England).

Forecast: Leinster to win.