Celtic League Previews: Leinster v Llanelli Donnybrook, 7.40Llanelli may be seventh in the Magners Celtic League and 11 points adrift of the leaders, Ulster, albeit with two games in hand, but at 6 to 1 they look an excellent bet to win this competition.
For starters, they are the most impressive "Celtic" team in European competition this season and have six games at Stradey Park in their eight remaining fixtures.
The organisers bungled the fixture list this season by bowing to the Anglo-Welsh Cup and Six Nations schedules. A three-week break follows this weekend.
Granted, the league loses significant allure with international players in camp but the English Premiership manages to stay afloat. Why cannot the Celtic League do likewise? Perhaps the sponsors and broadcasters dislike the look of a Leinster team minus Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy and the Scarlets devoid of their Welsh contingent.
Leinster may be without their world-class centre pairing, the injured Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Girvan Dempsey, Rob Kearney and Malcolm O'Kelly but they are well covered. Ross McCarron and Mick Berne are the only unproven backs. Luke Fitzgerald and Gary Brown provide pace and, more important, the aptitude to react to Felipe Contepomi's promptings.
Guy Easterby gets the nod over Chris Whitaker at scrumhalf, while Bernard Jackman fends off Brian Blaney at hooker despite some poor throwing in last Friday's 19-13 defeat in Gloucester.
Michael Cheika also profits from Eddie O'Sullivan's omission of Trevor Hogan, Keith Gleeson and Jamie Heaslip from the Ireland squad.
This was initially billed as an opportunity for Leinster to blood development players but only McCarron and Berne get a look in, while one from Devon Toner and Kevin McLoughlin will sit on the bench beside Owen Finegan (34). A choice also has to be made between Christian Warner and Jonathan Sexton as outhalf cover.
"It's important to see who's up to the mark at this time of year . . . and to see who can step up, like Jonathan and Cillian (Willis) did," said Cheika this week.
"They (development players) are ready in terms of how we review the opposition and by travelling with the first team in a professional environment. But it's also a good education for them in their club football because they're expected to be the top players in their clubs."
Coach Phil Davies has to make nine changes as Scarlets players dominate Wales's Six Nations plans. Without Dwayne Peel, Stephen Jones and Alix Popham, among others, it will be a shadow of the side that won six from six in the European Cup.
Leinster have a habit of lashing out in style a week after losing a big game. More of the same here.
LEINSTER:R McCarron; G Brown, K Lewis, M Berne, L Fitzgerald; F Contepomi (capt), G Easterby; S Wright, B Jackman, W Green; T Hogan, C Jowitt; S Keogh, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: R Corrigan, B Blaney, O Finegan, D Toner/K McLaughlin, C Whitaker, C Warner/J Sexton, N Ronan.
LLANELLI SCARLETS:M Stoddart; D James, R King, M Watkins, D Daniel; C Thomas, C Stuart-Smith; I Thomas, K Owens, C Dunlea; V Cooper, S MacLeod; D Jones, J Bater (capt), N Thomas. Replacements: D Manu, A Gravelle, A Jones, I Afeaki, L Davies, B Davies, G Evans.
Referee:M Changleng (Scotland).
Verdict:Leinster to win.
