Heineken Cup:LEINSTER'S HEINEKEN Cup ambition can be measured against their performance at the RDS this evening. Home victories are the primary collectibles of pool winners, the non-negotiable currency taken to foreign fields.
Leinster exorcised ghosts of campaigns past in Edinburgh last week but it won't matter a jot if they cannot maintain winning ways against Wasps. It's a monumental assignment against the two-time European champions.
The English club may have enjoyed a curiously lacklustre start to their domestic league but there was evidence in the first half against Castres that they have addressed many of their performance-related aberrations.
They'll relish this arm-wrestle, aware a win would give them a huge advantage over the team they would see as main rival for pool honours. The DVD of their European quarter-final win over Leinster at Adams Park a couple of season ago may have received an airing this week, if only to reinforce the importance of the rush defence that underpinned the win.
Leinster have a history of struggling against this defensive strategy. So it's reasonable to assume coach Michael Cheika and his assistants Alan Gaffney and Jonno Gibbes, in partnership with the players, will have been searching out solutions. They have to be able to make split-second decisions and execute them with precision in an extremely claustrophobic environment.
There was enough evidence in Murrayfield that the balance in the midfield axis of Felipe Contepomi, Brian O'Driscoll and Luke Fitzgerald holds a more potent attacking threat. Their influence will of course depends on the platform provided by the pack.
The arrival of CJ van der Linde and Rocky Elsom has proved Leinster with ballast and athleticism, complementing a unit better able this season to mix the grunt with off-loading and mobility.
The collisions up front will be interesting especially in the set-pieces. The Wasps props Tim Payne and Phil Vickery anchor a big eight but Leinster should be a match for them.
The ELVs have allowed more robust competition at the lineout, an area where Wasps have been occasionally brittle. Raphaël Ibañez has many qualities but his throws can miss the mark; Leinster will be keen to test the arm of the former French captain.
Malcolm O'Kelly returns and will be a streetwise presence.
The potentially intriguing tussle between the backrows will offer a window to the soul of the match: the duels between Shane Jennings and Tom Rees, Elsom and Jamie Haskell, Jamie Heaslip and Joe Worsley will be fought over every blade of grass on the RDS pitch.
Last season the Leinster pack showed they possessed the mettle to stand toe-to-toe with the eights of the traditional European heavyweights of the Leicester Tigers and Toulouse. But they need to be even more accurate at the breakdown, clean out ruthlessly and guarantee quick ball.
At times Leinster have carelessly turned over possession and have been ponderous: waiting for one pod to form and then three come along at once. They must raising the pace and intensity.
Wasps grabbed a couple of cracking tries against Castres through wings Paul Sackey and Tom Voyce and outhalf Danny Cipriani will be itching to give the ball some air. Eoin Reddan is a busy, clever presence at scrumhalf.
The New Zealander Riki Flutey had been called up to the England squad, illustrating his impact at Wasps. His midfield partner Josh Lewsey is powerful and pacy.
Jeremy Staunton is named at fullback but can easily mix and match with Cipriani.
Leinster's attacking virtues are well known, not least by the Wasps coach Shaun Edwards: "With such a potent offensive outfit like Leinster, full of internationals, if we are not on our game defensively, we will get pulverised."
Shane Horgan and Rob Kearney would benefit from greater inclusion but you suspect the game will begin with aerial ping-pong.
Leinster's kick-chase and defensive line speed in general will need to be more aggressive.
Neither team enters the match with an ideal form line but that won't diminish the entertainment.
Leinster simply have to win this match. Provided they absorb the lessons from their recent defeat by Munster - Wasps present a similar challenge - and mind the football, they should squeak home.
LEINSTER:G Dempsey; S Horgan, L Fitzgerald, B O'Driscoll, R Kearney; F Contepomi, C Whitaker; S Wright, B Jackman, CJ van der Linde; L Cullen (capt), M O'Kelly; R Elsom, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: C Healy, J Fogarty, D Toner, S Keogh, C Keane, J Sexton, G Brown.
WASPS: J Staunton; P Sackey, J Lewsey, R Flutey, T Voyce; D Cipriani, E Reddan; T Payne, R Ibañez (capt), P Vickery; S Shaw, T Palmer; J Haskell, T Rees, J Worsley. Replacements: R Webber, P Barnard, R Birkett, S Betsen, M Robinson, M van Gisbergen, J Hart.
Referee:N Owens (Wales)
Heineken Cup (2008-2009): Edinburgh 16 Leinster 27; Wasps 25 Castres 11.
Previous meeting:HC 2006-2007 quarter-final - Wasps 35 Leinster 13.
Leading scorers:Leinster - Felipe Contepomi 12. Wasps - Danny Cipriani 10.
Leading try scorers:Leinster - Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Felipe Contepomi, Rocky Elsom one each. Wasps - Josh Lewsey, Paul Sackey, Tom Voyce try each.
Betting(Paddy Power): Leinster 4/9, Wasps 7/4, draw 20/1. Handicap (Leinster - 6): 10/11 Leinster, 10/11 Wasps, 22/1 draw.
Verdict:Leinster to win.
