Brian O'Driscoll misses Leinster's Celtic League match against the Cardiff Blues at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday (6.10) because of a knee injury.

The Ireland captain appeared to twist the joint in making a tackle during the game against the Glasgow Warriors last week and was replaced for the second half by Gordon D'Arcy.

D'Arcy starts this weekend and partners Kieran Lewis at centre in the only changes to the backline. Shane Horgan moves to the wing.

Prop Will Green will be given every chance to prove his fitness and should he fail to recover from a virus then Emmett Byrne will make his 100th Leinster appearance.
 
Adam Byrnes again partners Malcolm O'Kelly in the second row while young winger Rob Kearney is named on a strong replacements bench.

Cameron Jowitt misses out with a back injury.

Yesterday, coach Michael Cheika teased out the ramifications of this weekend's league fare in what has become very much a two-team race for the title.

"It's between us and Ulster," said the Australian. "I don't think anyone else can catch us. I suppose it's come down to a semi-final and a final in one sense when you look at the last two matches. It's nice that we are two weeks away from the end of the championship and we're still in the race."

LEINSTER: Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Kieran Lewis, Gordon D'Arcy, Denis Hickie; Felipe Contepomi, Guy Easterby; Reggie Corrigan, Bernard Jackman, Will Green / Emmett Byrne; Adam Byrnes, Malcolm O'Kelly; Eric Miller, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements: Ronan McCormack, Brian Blaney, Ben Gissing, Niall Ronan, Brian O'Riordan, John Hepworth, Rob Kearney.