RUGBY: Leinster are hopeful of playing English club Bath in their first Heineken European Cup match this season at the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

The historical site, which was once the home of Shamrock Rovers FC in the early 1990s and this week hosts the Dublin Horse Show, will be Leinster Rugby's home ground for all of their European Cup games, if an agreement can be reached.

The proposed arrangement is curently at "the solicitors" stage, with just the fine details being hammered out between the two bodies.

While the Leinster Branch have recently spent €500,000 on improving their two pitches at Donnybrook, which will be used for their home Celtic League matches, the ground is considered too small to accommodate the larger crowds that the burgeoning European Cup competition attracts.

Last season Leinster played some games at Lansdowne Road but the national team's ground is seen to be too big and, as a result, lacks atmosphere. The other problem with the bigger stadium is that fans can afford not to committ themselves to pre-paid tickets but wait until the day of the match, knowing that the ground would not be filled to capacity. That leaves Leinster exposed financially.

With Donnybrook accomodating between 6,000 and 7,000, depending on how many people are squeezed in, and Lansdowne Road upwards of 48,000, the RDS seating capacity of around 13,000 is seen as an ideal size.

More important European matches, however, could attract up to 25,000 fans.

A regular bus service and a closer DART link at Lansdowne Road and Sandymount also make the location attractive to travelling fans. The RDS is barely 400 yards from Leinster's ground in Donnybrook.

"Yes, we are currently talking about the move," said Leinster CEO Mick Dawson yesterday. "It would only be for the Heineken Cup matches. Donnybrook is too small and Lansdowne Road too big. The RDS has a fantastic atmosphere and in terms of size just right. We'd have to put in temporary seating on three sides of the ground. That would be costly and we would have to sell more tickets, so yes, there is a risk element. But we would see it as having many other added bonuses."

The Leinster Branch have already sent their medical team and agronomists up to the site to decide on its suitability for rugby.

When Shamrock Rovers first moved to the ground there were concerns that because of its use as a facility for animals, there would be tetanus and other medical concerns. In rugby the frequency of blood injuries would make that a particularly important issue.

"We've sent up our agronomists and medical staff and they have assured us that it is suitable," said Dawson.

The first match against Bath will take place at 5.15pm in October. The December matches are scheduled for later in the evening. Given the time of year and light conditions, the installation of floodlights is being discussed as part of the package. Cherry pickers will be used and have been successful in the UK.