HEINEKEN CUP LEINSTER V WASPS:MALCOLM O'KELLY'S return to fitness and inclusion in an expanded Leinster squad, coupled with the rapid development of Devin Toner this season, have given Michael Cheika a dilemma. But it's one for which he is grateful as he finalises his side to play Wasps in Saturday evening's mouth-watering Pool Two summit meeting at the RDS, writes Gerry Thornley.

"Hopefully Mal will be fit to play, and that's good, really good for us," said Cheika. "Malcolm trained yesterday. I think that Devin is starting to use his frame better and he knows that if he dips under a certain level there are others waiting to step in. Trevor (Hogan) and Cameron (Jowitt) are there as secondrow cover, and they both bring different things. We would hope that everybody in the squad has the ability to go on and play Test rugby."

Seán O'Brien also returns to the squad, and had been making his case impressively, but Shane Jennings's performance in Edinburgh removes any question about his tenure at openside.

"I think now that he's getting a good run at seven he's becoming a real seven again," observed Cheika, "whereas last season we had to compromise him by playing him at six sometimes, and he did it willingly. Now he's honing his game at seven and he's going to have to be on his money.

"This game is massive for him because it's going to be so confrontational and the ball is going to be on the ground for us to get it if we're good enough."

Cheika was content with how Leinster managed the majority of last Saturday's bonus-point win in Edinburgh, though he admitted they were "pretty ordinary" in other aspects, such as industry off the ball: "We need to be in position more, be more threatening more often. Sometimes we settle to go into a certain pattern and not threaten all the options. When we did threaten the options we were able to get opportunities and create extra men. Our kick-chasing needs to be more urgent, and if we back off the back three that these guys (Wasps) have, they'll cut us apart."

The nature of Wasps' more direct game means Cheika's players will have to be equally direct. "They'll come to us and we'll have to go to them."

Cheika went to High Wycombe on Sunday to observe, at first hand, Wasps' 25-11 win over Castres. He was particularly impressed with the territorial kicking game of a new back three that included Jeremy Staunton at fullback.

"Their wings, Voyce and Sackey, take real responsibility, and then their back row is quality, their scrum was strong and they really put it up to them."

Looking back on Wasps' commanding, 35-13 quarter-final win at home over Leinster two years ago, Cheika recounted: "We managed the first half pretty well but we weren't able to manage the second half. They went on to win the tournament that year, so we're very mindful of that game."

And special attention will have to be made for the quick taps and sniping threat of the scrumhalf Eoin Reddan, who nearly joined Leinster during the close season.

"He's the Irish halfback. It's no secret we spoke to him in the pre-season about coming here. He chose to stay there, so he obviously believes in his club a lot. He's passionate about playing for Wasps.

"He's a real threat around the fringes of the ruck and also in the way he marshals his forward pack. A very good player and we have to be very watchful about him.

"And that's something Wasps have. They have threats all over the park."

Leinster have another source of motivation as well.

"We lost our last home game too, and we don't want to put our supporters through that. We've really been disciplined in concentrating on every game, bringing that level of intensity to every game.

"We know how big the game is, and we want it to be that way. We want to be at our best in the big games."