European Cup Quarter-finals:The player everyone wanted to speak to, Will Green, was keeping his head very low yesterday in Donnybrook. He saw what sort of questions were going to fall into his lap since Leinster and Wasps qualified from their respective pools. Johnny Wattersonreports

Green was right to remain scarce or he may still be in the Old Wesley bar figuring questions like - "Tell us Will, you won the Heineken European Cup with Wasps in 2004. How can Leinster beat your former team this weekend?"

Even coach Michael Cheika, always garrulous and discursive, wouldn't reveal the Green factor. Although when he announced the 25-man squad yesterday he acknowledged his former England front-row had, with respect to Wasps, opened his kimono, so to speak.

"He's given us a few insights," said Cheika. "No doubt about it. It was a few years ago when Will played for them and they've a new head coach in (Ian) McGeechan. But any inside knowledge is useful. You've got to be careful how you use that, careful of the double dipping . . . the they know that we know sort of thing."

What Cheika knows about Wasps is that they have a rush defence and that they can take ownership of the ball even against top teams. In simple terms, that is bad for Leinster business, whose strength is the running game. The forward spats, as usual, will account for what shape the game will take but Leinster have a belief that they can turn out for big games.

Last year at Toulouse they did it and, in Cheika's thinking, his inclusion of all of Eddie O'Sullivan's players for the Magners Celtic League game against Connacht last weekend was taking the first step on the road towards ensuring that Leinster do not misfire because the team has to reintroduce themselves again after an arduous Six Nations Championship.

"For the guys (international players) to get back out there and play the Leinster calls, the Leinster system . . . we hadn't done that for two months," says Girvan Dempsey.

"We didn't really get it first half (against Connacht) but we came in at half-time, talked about it and played much better second half.

"We showed last year travelling to Toulouse that we can play exceptional rugby and when we cross over to the pitch we have to be under no illusion about what we have to do."

The Leinster squad includes 12 current Irish international players as well as Argentinian out-half Felipe Contepomi, former Australian international duo Chris Whittaker and Owen Finegan and English prop Green.

In Luke Fitzgerald, Devin Toner and Reggie Corrigan there are also three additions to the squad that defeated Connacht 30-21 last weekend.

But the strong line-up ensures even less complacency and Cheika now sees the game against Toulouse last year as a mere statistic.

"I think it's a different day and it's not really relevant to what we are doing this week. It is different circumstances and a year on as a group together so we've got a totally different outlook or aspect on the game," he says.

"We know how Wasps can play. They can strangle you in defence and in attack. They can keep the ball away from you for a long period of time.

"They play within the forward pack, very well led by (Raphael) Ibanez, who is a spearhead for them as far as the pack is concerned. They are very good at keeping possession and have a lot of good strike runners. It's a totally different challenge.

"I've seen us go from great heights to low lows and vice versa. We're a team that can compete consistently. How we peak ourselves on the day is what it is about. We've struggled with a rush (defence) before in Wales. Playing against that instead of a flat back four will be a challenge for us no doubt."

Not surprisingly, captain Brian O'Driscoll was not to be seen on the team sheet. It was never an option given the severity of the tear on his hamstring and with a World Cup on the horizon.

Other than the talisman, O'Driscoll, Cillian Willis and Ronnie McCormack were not considered due to injury. Stephen Keogh was also unable to train this week but is expected to be available for selection.

Correctly, though, Cheika also pointed out that what Leinster did last week is not always what they do this week. While the Connacht match illustrated some deficiencies, largely in the first half, Leinster left the ground with a better gut feeling.

"If you want to draw an analogy, you've got to budget over a period," explains Cheika. "You might have a bad week, but over the month or over three months you're going to make that number that you've targeted."

Time then to cash in.

l Leicester Tigers head coach Pat Howard is still waiting to discover if Martin Corry will recover from an elbow injury sustained last weekend in time to to lead his team into battle in Sunday's quarter-final against Stade Français at Welford Road.

"There's a real chance he could play. There's no structural damage," said Howard.

LEINSTER SQUAD:Forwards: F Pala'amo, S Wright, R Corrigan, W Green, B Jackman, B Blaney, M O'Kelly, T Hogan, O Finegan, C Jowitt, D Toner, K Gleeson, S Keogh, J Heaslip. Backs: C Whittaker, G Easterby, C Warner, F Contepomi, K Lewis,L Fitzgerald, R Kearney, G D'Arcy, S Horgan. D Hickie, G Dempsey