Celtic League: Leinster will hold off until today to name their team to face Llanelli in tonight's match because of ongoing fitness concerns. Shane Horgan won't play and Gordon D'Arcy probably won't either although he is included in the squad from which coach Declan Kidney will select his starting team.
A number of bumps and bruises in the international group of players are also exercising the coach's mind.
With one eye on next week's Heineken European Cup match against Leicester at the same venue, Leinster are hopeful for a win in order to also secure a home draw in the Celtic Cup quarter-finals, which is still a probability at this stage.
A top-four league finish gives home advantage in the cup competition. So there are a few reasons for Leinster wanting to win this tie against a team two places below them in the table.
Kidney's side have won their last six matches at Lansdowne Road across the competitions, while Llanelli are currently on a run of three straight victories and need just two points to ensure their qualification for next season's Heineken European Cup.
Irish flanker Simon Easterby will start for Llanelli on the bench as will Dwayne Peel, while Dafydd Jones has failed to pass a fitness test and will not figure. Both Peel and Easterby returned to Stradey this week eager to get back into regional action but it was decided not to start them.
Coach Paul Moriarty said the mood at Llanelli training throughout the week has been one of confidence following their win on Sunday against the Cardiff Blues as well as the feel-good factor associated with the Six Nations players.
"The boys have bounced back in with enthusiasm and it rubs off on everybody. But they've also been keen to lift Simon (Easterby) up again," said Moriarty.
Kidney's decisions may well revolve around a number of areas including the centre positions where Gary Brown and Kieran Lewis could partner Brian O'Driscoll while Keith Gleeson came through 80 minutes of action in Leinster's 26-21 win over Connacht last week.
A Gleeson pick would leave out Shane Jennings at openside flanker with Kidney also having to decide which international players need the extra week and which are fresh enough to go into the trenches again.
Shane Byrne, Malcolm O'Kelly, Eric Miller, Reggie Corrigan, Girvan Dempsey and Denis Hickie may all figure with the overriding factor probably next week rather than tonight.
LEINSTER: TBA
LLANELLI: B Davies; G Evans, M Watkins, M Taylor, T Selley; G Bowen, M Phillips; P John, R McBryde, J Davies, V Cooper (capt), A Jones, C Wyatt, G Thomas, A Powell. Replacements: D Maddocks, A Gravelle, B Griffiths, J Mills, S Easterby, D Peel, S Thomas.
Head to heads - Friday, November 7th, 2003 (Celtic League) at Donnybrook, Leinster 31: C Warner (try), J McWeeney (two tries), B O'Meara (two convs/four pens); Llanelli Scarlets 20: T Selley (try), I Boobyer (try), B Davies (two convs), G Bowen (two pens).
Friday, April 16th, 2004 (Celtic League) at Stradey Park, Llanelli Scarlets 51: D Peel (two tries), B Davies (two tries), G Evans (try), J Thiel (try), S Jones (six convs/three pens); Leinster 20: J McWeeney (two tries), S Horgan (try), F Contepomi (pen), B O'Meara (conv).
Sunday, November 14th, 2004 (Celtic League) at Racecourse Ground, Llanelli Scarlets 24: M Watkins (try) A Havili (try), B Davies (try), G Bowen (three convs/pen), Leinster 22: R Nebbett (try), D Holwell (con/five pens).
Referee: Iain Ramage.
Verdict: Home win.
