Last season Leinster and Newport met three times, Ireland's champion province prevailing on all three occasions en route to a Celtic League triumph and a quarter-final berth in the Heineken European Cup.
Twelve months on and both teams are struggling. Leinster are highly unlikely to make the Celtic League play-offs having won just one match in five outings. Newport have failed to win in their last eight matches, five of which were in the Celtic League.
Both sides are desperately striving for a psychological fillip ahead of the opening round of matches in the European Cup that begins next weekend.
Leinster welcome back their international squad members. Mathematically, Leinster can still make the play-offs but even that convoluted progression could be denied them by the end of the weekend.
A decision must still be made on the fitness of David Quinlan and Adam Magro, coach Matt Williams' preferred options to fill two places among the replacements. Newport also make wholesale changes in the wake of a narrow defeat to Cardiff (27-25).
Shane Howarth moves from outhalf to full back for the injured Matt Pini, with Jason Strange, back from injury to take the number 10 jersey. Welsh centre Andy Marinos is out with a head injury so former Irish international Matt Mostyn moves from wing to centre to partner 19-year-old Scott Williams. Alex Cadwallader comes in on the right wing.
Up front, Ceri Jones and Adrian Garvey are preferred to Chris Anthony and Rod Snow. In the back row, the Powells, Joe and Andrew, replace Gareth Gravell and Steve Ojomoh.
LEINSTER: G Dempsey; D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, G D'Arcy; C Warner, B O'Meara; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, P Wallace; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; E Miller, V Costello, K Gleeson. Replacements: E Byrne, P Smyth, A Kearney, D Dillon, B O'Riordan, D Quinlan/M Leek, A Magro/K Lewis.
NEWPORT: S Howarth; A Cadwallader, M Mostyn, S Williams, L Navaro; J Strange, O Tonu'u; C Jones, J Richards, A Garvey; S Raiwalui (capt), M Voyle; J Powell, P Powell, J Forster. Replacements: C Anthony, P Young, S Ojomoh, G Gravell, A Wagstaff, M Hook, C Lane.
Referee: I Ramage (Scotland).
Previous meetings: European Cup 2001-2002 - Newport 21 Leinster 26; Leinster 21 Newport 6. Celtic League 2001-2002 - Leinster 34 Newport 22. Formguide: Leinster - W v Pontypridd (h) 31-18; L v Glasgow (a) 25-21; L v Connacht (h) 26-23; L v Cardiff 30-17; L v Borders (a) 23-18. Newport - L v Bridgend (a); L v Pontypridd (a) 21-16; L v Glasgow (h) 25-31; L v Connacht (a); L v Cardiff (h) 25-27. Leading points scorers: Leinster - B O'Meara 34 points. Newport - S Howarth 29 points. Leading try scorers: Leinster - D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, K Gleeson 2 each; Newport - J Forster 2.
