Cardiff v Leinster:LUKE FITZGERALD, Girvan Dempsey and Trevor Hogan are on the bench, there's no place in the 22 for Stephen Keogh, and fully fledged internationals such as Gordon D'Arcy, Leo Cullen, CJ van der Linde and Rocky Elsom are still to come into the mix.
Right from the first weekend of the season, Leinster's selections are going to have more intrigue than ever before.
Michael Cheika's first selection of the Magners League campaign is, if nothing else, a statement of Leinster's new-found strength in depth. "We want to be playing a rotation system but it's a rotation of merit," said Cheika yesterday. You've got to be playing well to get into the rotation."
To that end, Leinster play the first of four A fixtures this month away to Edinburgh on Monday.
True to his word that the squad started from a clean slate in their pre-season trip to Italy, Cheika has named an unchanged line-up from the side that started last weekend's 48-19 friendly victory over the Queensland Reds.
This means the ex-Auckland Blues utility back Isa Nacewa will make his competitive debut in a backline that features a midfield partnership of Brian O'Driscoll and Felipe Contepomi, with Shane Horgan and Rob Kearney on the wings and Johnny Sexton at outhalf alongside Chris Whitaker, who captains the side pending the return of Cullen. In the pack, the hitherto under-achieving Cameron Jowitt has earned what last season had become a rare start alongside Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip, while the highly regarded young Tullow openside and Leinster Academy graduate Seán O'Brien has been named on the bench along with another potential debutant, former Ireland A captain John Fogarty.
Prop Stephen Knoop has been named on the bench after a debilitating illness, with Ronnie McCormack starting at tighthead in the absence of the injured Stanley Wright; a demanding ask given he is up against Gethin Jenkins.
Given this is a meeting of last season's top two, Leinster could hardly have had a tougher start to the defence of their title. "They've picked a full side, and the weather is going to be an issue, so it's a good hard start for us," admitted Cheika.
Leinster do have a decent record in the Arms Park, having won on three of their previous five competitive visits to the ground, and last season's double - including a bonus point win here - went some way toward securing the title. But given the conditions, a Scottish referee and home touch judges, and the strength of the home side, it's a tall order.
CARDIFF:B Blair; R Mustoe, T Shanklin, J Roberts, C Czekaj; N Robinson, J Spice; G Jenkins, G Williams, T Filise, B Davies, P Tito (capt), M Molitika, A Powell, M Williams. Replacements: G Powell, T. Rhys Thomas, S Morgan, B White, D Allinson, C Sweeney, J Robinson.
LEINSTER:I Nacewa; S Horgan; B O'Driscoll, F Contepomi, R Kearney; J Sexton, C Whitaker (capt); C Healy, B Jackman, R McCormack, D Toner, M O'Kelly, C Jowitt, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: J Fogarty, S Knoop, T Hogan, S O'Brien, C Keane, L Fitzgerald, G Dempsey.
Referee:Andy Macpherson (SRU).
Odds(Paddy Power): 8/11 Cardiff, 20/1 Draw, 11/10 Leinster. Handicap odds (= + 2 pts) 10/11 Cardiff, 20/1 Draw, 10/11 Leinster. Forecast: Cardiff to win.
