Leinster on guard against complacency

Beware the January jitters. Coach Matt Williams will demand Leinster's New Year's resolution is to negotiate the final two games of Pool Four without tarnishing their unbeaten record in this season's Heineken European Cup.

Tonight at Donnybrook they can close out qualification for the quarter-finals with a victory over Swansea before redirecting their attention to guaranteeing a home game in the play-offs by defeating Bristol at the Memorial Stadium the following Sunday.

Recent history - January 2002 - offers a salutary lesson against complacency. Leinster amassed 18 straight victories, including capturing the Celtic League title, only to watch their season disintegrate in successive defeats to Toulouse and Leicester.

There were mitigating factors. A debilitating injury list against the Tigers at Welford Road diluted the potency that marked their season to that point. Toulouse played some exceptional rugby in their own backyard; that defeat threw Leinster to the Tigers in Leicester. Williams conceded Leinster "got a bit distracted" but have "learned from that experience".

The focus is on Swansea.

Girvan Dempsey's groin strain, sustained in last Friday night's friendly win over Connacht, has responded to treatment and he is named at full back. Any reaction to training would manifest itself this morning so the medical team will make a final assessment at that juncture. Denis Hickie has recovered from an ankle problem.

Swansea are without a couple of Welsh internationals in full back Kevin Morgan and wing Jamie Robinson but still possess more than a smattering of quality. For the former Queensland and Stade Francais coach, Australian John Connolly, the main bugbear has been a lack of consistency.

Swansea's insipid performance at St Helen's when the teams met earlier in the campaign should rankle and being afforded the chance to redress that memory is a decent carrot. They subsequently beat Bristol at home suggesting they can be dangerous. They boast some excellent players in their midfield pairing of Scott Gibbs and Mark Taylor of Wales and Lions fame. Their clash with Brian O'Driscoll and Shane Horgan should be worth the admission price alone.

Gavin Henson, who was suspended for the teams' first meeting, is preferred to Arwel Thomas at outhalf, linking up with the Australian Sam Cordingley. Morgan's deputy at full back is Wales under-21 international Gareth Swales. Darren Morris captains the side from loosehead in a pack that includes fellow Lion Colin Charvis.

Leinster know a good start against a team with little more than the jersey to play for will facilitate a win. The pack has been playing extremely well, best illustrated by the fact the in-form Aidan McCullen is on the bench.

The fundamentals have been good, a solid scrum, a good platform in the lineout through Leo Cullen and Malcolm O'Kelly and a high work-rate by all the forwards. Brian O'Meara has thrived on the responsibility of the place-kicking while Williams has consistently pointed out the contribution of outhalf Christian Warner.

Nathan Spooner is on the bench. Rehabilitated from his shoulder reconstruction he has suffered the inevitable minor niggles of a player who has been sidelined for a lengthy period.

The three-quarter line is charged with recreating the potency they showed at St Helen's in the first meeting where an expansive approach was rewarded with a bagful of tries; none profited more than Gordon D'Arcy.

However, Swansea's Irish-qualified South African-born wing Shaun Payne said: "There is still an underlying spirit in the (Swansea) side and we have to take the positives from that".

Leinster are buoyed by a strong bench - McCullen, Des Dillon and David Quinlan.

This match, and the chance to guarantee a home quarter-final, is Leinster's to lose and if they have learned the lessons of last year this will not be the last time the Lions roar at Donnybrook or Lansdowne Road, possibly, this season.

London Irish player-coach Brendan Venter has been ruled out of the Exiles' European Cup match away to Edinburgh tonight. Former Springbok Venter has a back injury and will be replaced in midfield by Geoff Appleford.

Irish still have an outside chance of qualifying from Pool Five for the quarter-finals but have chosen to rest prolific point scorer Barry Everitt and replace him at outhalf with Mark Mapletfoft. They have also made three changes to their pack from the team that played Northampton last weekend, flanker Declan Danaher, second row Bob Casey and prop Rob Hardwick all coming in.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; G D'Arcy, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, D Hickie; C Warner, B O'Meara; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, E Byrne; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; E Miller, V Costello, K Gleeson. Replacements: P Coyle, G Hickie, D Dillon, A McCullen, B O'Riordan, N Spooner, D Quinlan.

SWANSEA: G Swales; S Payne, M Taylor, S Gibbs, R Rees; G Henson, S Cordingley; D Morris (capt), C Balshen, B Evans; S Lade, J Thomas; D Thomas, J Bater, C Charvis. Replacements: T Evans or D Dorsey, C Wells, R Jenkins, R Francis, R Jones, A Thomas, S Winn.

Referee: J Jutge (France).

Previous meeting: EC 2002 - Leinster 51 Swansea 10.

EC formguide (2002): Leinster - bt Bristol (h) 29-23; bt Swansea (a) 51-10; bt Montferrand (a) 23-20; bt Montferrand (h) 12-9. Swansea - lost to Montferrand (a) 47-12; lost to Leinster (h) 51-10; bt Bristol (h) 26-19; lost to Bristol (a) 41-23.

Leading try scorers: Leinster - G D'Arcy 4. Swansea - S Winn, C Charvis, J Robinson, G Henson, A Farley, A Thomas 1 try each.

Leading points scorers: Leinster - B O'Meara 57. G Henson 31.

Odds (courtesy Paddy Powers): (Handicap, Swansea + 27) 10/11 Leinster, 16/1 draw, 10/11 Swansea.

Verdict: Leinster.