Newcastle may have been distracted over the past week by a spat with alleged racial overtones that has brought them into conflict with Gloucester. The dispute centres on the sending off of two players, Newcastle flanker Epi Taoine and Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam in last weekend's fixture between the clubs.
Rob Andrew, Newcastle's director of rugby, has alleged Azam called Taoine (a Tongan international) a "black bastard" and also spat in his face. The racial slur allegation is supported by two of Taoine's team-mates, Inga Tuigamala and Pat Lam. Azam denies the accusation and has been supported by his club.
The matter is likely to go before the disciplinary committee of the English RFU but of more pertinence from a Leinster perspective is that Taoine won't play in tonight's Heineken European Cup clash at Kinston Park. The 6ft 4ins, 18-stone powerhouse has been omitted from the squad.
Coach Steve Bates was adamant on Thursday Taoine would be available pending any suspension but yesterday Newcastle confirmed the player was not available to them. His absence is a huge blow as not only is he the team's leading try-scorer in the competition but a primary ball carrier.
Despite this setback, Newcastle have selected a very strong team, restoring the two Samoan internationals, Tuigamala and Lam, to the starting line-up having been introduced as replacements against Gloucester. Rob Devonshire replaces Taoine in the backrow.
Hall Charlton, their promising young scrumhalf is preferred to Gary Armstrong; Johnny Wilkinson is the fulcrum for a young, talented three-quarter line. Newcastle's early European Cup form was poor, losing their opening match at home to Newport, but a better appreciation of their current well-being can be gleaned from a 42-9 thumping of Toulouse.
Newcastle didn't score a try in their first two matches and even against Toulouse were hardly prolific, the majority of points coming from Wilkinson's boot.
Leinster coach Matt Williams preached discipline before the meeting of today's combatants at Donnybrook. His team largely heeded his advice limiting the England outhalf to three successful penalties.
Leinster are chasing a 15th successive victory this season and confidence could not be higher. Trevor Brennan brings different qualities to the backrow in the absence of the suspended Eric Miller and the combative defence of the Barnhall man could be a priceless asset.
Bob Casey's knee is not sufficiently healed so Liam Toland joins fellow Lansdowne man Aidan McCullen as cover on the bench for the back five in the scrum. Leinster need at least one more victory to try to secure a home quarter-final at the end of the month: they won't want to be heading for Toulouse next weekend requiring a win.
Ostensibly, Newcastle have nothing to play for given they can't qualify but that in itself makes them dangerous opponents, freed from having to "get a result". For the Irish province, the goalposts continue to shift in terms of expectation. They have negotiated every hurdle to date yet this match represents a huge test of their ability and self-belief.
A victory would propel them further down the road to proving themselves one of the top teams in Europe. They will require a hard-nosed performance from the pack, a rock-solid structure at ruck and lineout, a typically rumbustious performance from Victor Costello and Keith Gleeson's breakdown and continuity skills.
The three-quarter line and full back Girvan Dempsey have been productive in terms of tries and Williams will be hoping the latent quality is once again evident. There can be no question of Leinster being negative in their attitude given the attacking prowess of Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickie and Gordon D'Arcy.
Williams celebrates his 42nd birthday tomorrow and a victory tonight is probably the most desired present. His team has shown the wherewithal to surmount whatever obstacles they have encountered this season and to doubt them now has no foundation in recent history.
It should be a tough, uncompromising affair but Leinster's last two seasons in this competition have seen them beat Northampton and Leicester away. They should manage the hat-trick and in doing so lay down a marker for the days and weeks ahead.
NEWCASTLE: D Walder; M Stephenson, J Noon, T May, I Tuigamala; J Wilkinson, H Charlton; M Ward, C Balshaen, G Graham; H Vyvyan, S Grimes; J Dunbar, P Lam, R Devonshire. Replacements: I Peel, N Makin, M Hurter, C Hamilton, R Arnold, G Armstrong, G Maclure .
LEINSTER: G Dempsey; D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, G D'Arcy; N Spooner, B O'Meara; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, P Wallace; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; T Brennan, V Costello, K Gleeson. Replacements: G Hickie, P Coyle, L Toland, A McCullen, B Willis, A Magro, P McKenna.
Referee: G Simmonds (Wales).
Previous meetings: (EC 2001-2002) Leinster 28 Newcastle 9.
European Cup formguide (2001-2002): Newcastle - lost to Newport (h) 21-34; lost to Leinster (a) 28-9; lost to Toulouse (a) 33-13; beat Toulouse (h) 42-9. Leinster - beat Toulouse (h) 40-10; beat Newcastle (h) 28-9; beat Newport (h) 21-6; beat Newport (a) 21-26.
Leading points scorers: Newcastle - Johnny Wilkinson 57. Leinster - Nathan Spooner 55.
Leading try scorers: Newcastle - Epeli Taoine 2. Leinster - Brian O'Driscoll 3.
Odds: Newcastle 6/5, Leinster 8/13, Draw 16/1. Handicap: Newcastle + four 10/11, Leinster - four 10/11, draw 14/1.
Forecast: Leinster to win.
