Celtic League: The Leinster squad, under coach Michael Cheika, will be chasing the limelight this weekend by walking the same path as cult gore-rocker Marilyn Mason and WWF Wrestling.
For those who watched Leinster bleed five tries against Munster last week, Manson's recent lugubrious performance at Leinster's new RDS home ground would sum up the depressing type of day the Dublin side wish to avoid against Cardiff on Saturday.
The squad have been training at the Ballsbridge pitch this week and have spent some time at the grounds last week. Tomorrow evening they will have their first run out under the unusual floodlighting system, which is now in place and situated by the two stands. A pair of cherry picker lifts with a large floodlighting system attached has been successfully used before in Britain. Festivities will begin at 4.30pm in the grounds where Leinster will provide family entertainment.
For the first week, however, the RDS ground capacity is reduced to 7,500 spectators as only two of the four stands are in place. Two more temporary structures will be erected before Leinster face Bath in their opening Heineken European Cup match on October 22nd.
With 3,500 people catered for in each of the new stands, that should increase the capacity to about 14,000. For that game, over 10,000 tickets have been sold so far, leaving just over 3,500 that can be bought online.
Leinster will hold a press conference today with Cheika likely to follow form and announce a squad if not a starting team. Eric Miller picked up an ankle strain against Munster but is expected to be fit for selection. Expectation is that Malcolm O'Kelly may also get a run having been sidelined.
Bearing in mind the importance of the match against Bath and the need to get a strong cup start, Cheika is also expected to try out some of the players who have seen limited action so far in the Celtic League.
Ulster, as expected, bounced back from their defeat by Leinster to crush Connacht and they are determined to carry the winning form across to Scotland where they meet Borders, also on Saturday.
Neil McMillan was the only player over which there was some doubt after he injured his upper back during the game, but the backrower trained yesterday and is hopeful of being fit for selection today in Belfast. Paul Steinmetz, the creative centre, will see a consultant this week for a review of his broken jaw. However, a return for Ulster's European Cup opener against Italian side Benetton Treviso is likely to be out of reach.
Munster have a free weekend from Celtic League duty, which gives them four win points for putting their feet up, although some of the fringe players may get a run with club side Shannon against St Mary's College in Dublin. Peter Stringer's knee injury is unlikely to heal in time for the European Cup weekend while secondrow Paul O'Connell is due to have the plaster removed from his hand this week. Doctors may then give him a more definitive time for recovery.
Prop John Hayes has been suffering from a gland infection in his neck but is expected to train this week, although he is extremely unlikely to line out with his club at the weekend. The Sale Sharks European Cup opener would be his preferred restart.
Players who missed the Munster game two weeks ago but were fit for last weekend - Shaun Payne, David Wallace and Alan Quinlan - all came through the Leinster match intact. The sparkling scrumhalf, Tomas O'Leary, did receive a shoulder knock but there is no real concern it will remove him from selection. Trevor Halstead has also caused mild concern when he suffered a back spasm earlier in the week but, again, he's expected to recover quickly.
Connacht coach Michael Bradley has made eight changes to his side for this Friday's meeting with the Ospreys in Wales. Joe Merrigan and John Hearty will both make their first competitive starts for the province. In total Bradley has made five personnel and three positional changes from the side that lost to Ulster last week.
In the forwards Merrigan replaces John Fogarty at hooker, while in the back row John Muldoon moves to eight and Michael Swift and Brendan O'Connor come in for Matt Lacey and Colm Rigney. In the backline, Hearty starts at outside centre, while Conor O'Loughlin will start at scrum half. Darren Yapp moves to the wing and Keith Matthews moves to first centre.
CONNACHT: M Mostyn; C McPhillips, J Hearty, K Matthews, D Yapp; P Warwick, C O'Loughlin; R Hogan, J Merrigan, S Knoop, C Short, A Farley (c), M Swift, B O'Connor, J Muldoon. Replacements: J Fogarty, R Loughney, C Rigney, M Lacey, C Keane, J Downey, T Robinson.
