A
An Tarbh
Guest
Leinster face a tough opening match with the visit of Gloucester to Lansdowne Rd. Injury doubts remain over Chris Whitaker and Cameron Jowitt but both have been named in the starting lineup subject to fitness tests. If Whitaker is fit for selection, Cillian Willis will take his place on the bench. But if Whitaker is again ruled out, Andrew Dunne – who earlier this week signed a contract until the end of the season – will take his place on the bench, with Willis starting. Should Jowitt not make it, Stephen Keogh will make his Heineken Cup debut for the province with Adam Byrnes taking his place on the bench.
Mal O'Kelly and Girvan Dempsey will both make their 50th HEC appearance for Leinster.
Carlos Nieto is poised to make his first start for Gloucester. Nieto will line-up in an all-international front row alongside Wales hooker Mefin Davies and France star Christian Califano. Gloucester welcome back Italian skipper Marco Bortolami in the second row where he will partner Adam Eustace, while the back row and back line are unchanged from the team which beat Worcester last Friday.
I think Leinster will be pleased that Nigel Whitehouse won't be reffing this one, given his appaling performance in Leinster's opener last season when Bath took the spoils at the RDS.
Leinster: 15 Girvan Dempsey, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (capt), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Denis Hickie, 10 Felipe Contepomi, 9 Chris Whitaker, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Keith Gleeson, 6 Cameron Jowitt, 5 Malcolm O'Kelly, 4 Trevor Hogan, 3 Will Green, 2 Brian Blaney, 1 Ronan McCormack.
Replacements: 16 Harry Vermaas, 17 Reggie Corrigan, 18 Owen Finegan, 19 Stephen Keogh, 20 Cillian Willis, 21 Kieran Lewis, 22 Luke Fitzgerald.
Gloucester: 15 Iain Balshaw, 14 James Bailey, 13 Jack Adams, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Mark Foster, 10 Ryan Lamb, 9 Peter Richards, 8 James Forrester, 7 Andy Hazell, 6 Peter Buxton, 5 Adam Eustace, 4 Marco Bortolami (capt), 3 Carlos Nieto, 2 Mefin Davies, 1 Christian Califano.
Replacements: 16 Nick Wood, 17 Olivier Azam, 18 Jonathan Pendlebury, 19 Jake Boer, 20 Rory Lawson, 21 Ludovic Mercier, 22 Rudi Keil.
Referee: Christophe Berdos
Mal O'Kelly and Girvan Dempsey will both make their 50th HEC appearance for Leinster.
Carlos Nieto is poised to make his first start for Gloucester. Nieto will line-up in an all-international front row alongside Wales hooker Mefin Davies and France star Christian Califano. Gloucester welcome back Italian skipper Marco Bortolami in the second row where he will partner Adam Eustace, while the back row and back line are unchanged from the team which beat Worcester last Friday.
I think Leinster will be pleased that Nigel Whitehouse won't be reffing this one, given his appaling performance in Leinster's opener last season when Bath took the spoils at the RDS.
Leinster: 15 Girvan Dempsey, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (capt), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Denis Hickie, 10 Felipe Contepomi, 9 Chris Whitaker, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Keith Gleeson, 6 Cameron Jowitt, 5 Malcolm O'Kelly, 4 Trevor Hogan, 3 Will Green, 2 Brian Blaney, 1 Ronan McCormack.
Replacements: 16 Harry Vermaas, 17 Reggie Corrigan, 18 Owen Finegan, 19 Stephen Keogh, 20 Cillian Willis, 21 Kieran Lewis, 22 Luke Fitzgerald.
Gloucester: 15 Iain Balshaw, 14 James Bailey, 13 Jack Adams, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Mark Foster, 10 Ryan Lamb, 9 Peter Richards, 8 James Forrester, 7 Andy Hazell, 6 Peter Buxton, 5 Adam Eustace, 4 Marco Bortolami (capt), 3 Carlos Nieto, 2 Mefin Davies, 1 Christian Califano.
Replacements: 16 Nick Wood, 17 Olivier Azam, 18 Jonathan Pendlebury, 19 Jake Boer, 20 Rory Lawson, 21 Ludovic Mercier, 22 Rudi Keil.
Referee: Christophe Berdos