MUNSTER have the ideal opportunity to atone for their disappointing performance against the Newport Gwent Dragons when they face the Llanelli Scarlets in a postponed Magners League game at Musgrave Park on Thursday, (7.35pm).

LEINSTER’S young guns steered them back to the top of the Magners League table and now they have a four-point lead over champions Munster with a game in hand.

LEINSTER will have plenty of experience to help guide them through an expected tough Magners League experience against Cardiff Blues at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday (4pm).

THE highs and lows of professional rugby were very evident at the RDS on Saturday evening as Leinster clocked up their fourth win over the Scarlets who must be sick of the sight of them by now.

SHANE JENNINGS will captain a Leinster side that is boosted by the inclusion of the four other Ireland internationals in the pack for tonight’s Magners League encounter with the Scarlets at the RDS (6.30pm).

LEINSTER have included internationals Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan and Jonathan Sexton in their squad for Saturday’s Magners League clash with Scarlets at the RDS (6.30pm).

IRELAND internationals Girvan Dempsey, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Malcolm O’Kelly and Mike Ross have been named in the extended Leinster squad for Saturday’s British & Irish Cup clash against Exeter at Sandy Park on Saturday (3pm).

LET’S dispense with the basic arithmetic first.

Jonathan Sexton and Shane Jennings return to the Leinster squad ahead of the Friday’s Magner’s League tie at home to Glasgow.

THE Leinster team to face Connacht in today’s Magners League derby at the Sportsground (4pm) has been named and Ireland trio Girvan Dempsey, Trevor Hogan and Mike Ross come into the team for the trip to Galway in a side that includes nine Ireland internationals in the starting line-up.

LEINSTER consultant coach Alan Gaffney says that despite defeating Ulster, his squad are looking for a marked improvement against Connacht in their Magners League match at the Sportsground this weekend (Saturday, 4pm).

LEINSTER signed off on their magnificent 2009 with a positive result on St Stephens’ Day, but judging by their muted reaction this win over an understrength Ulster won’t last too long on the showreel.

LEINSTER’S injured out-half, Jonathan Sexton, may return to full fitness in time for the province’s Magners League trip to Connacht on Saturday week.

BARELY a week has passed in the last six months when the unholy alliance between sports and cheating hasn’t raised its ugly head and one of this year’s most controversial incidents was on the menu again yesterday.

MICHAEL CHEIKA has declared his confidence in back-up out-half Shaun Berne despite admitting he had attempted to recruit fellow Australian Matt Giteau on a short-term contract last week.

Prop Stan Wright returns to an extended Leinster squad ahead of the Heineken Cup encounter with The Scarlets at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has ordered Isa Nacewa to wrap himself up in cotton wool to ensure his availability for Heineken Cup action against Llanelli Scarlets on Saturday week.

WORLD CUP winning prop forward CJ van der Linde appears to have put his injury woes behind him and is named in Leinster’s squad for Saturday’s Magners League derby clash with Ulster at Ravenhill (6pm).

MICHAEL CHEIKA’S smile said it all after his side had hammered admittedly poor opposition and recorded their biggest win on French soil.

GET ready to rumble. The Heineken Cup reopens for business this weekend and the tie of the round may well have come and gone by Friday evening when Leinster welcome London Irish to the RDS.

MICHAEL CHEIKA has tasted victory as often as he has defeat against Munster but the Australian now wants his side to establish clear bragging rights in one of world rugby’s most passionate rivalries.

TIMING is everything. And Leinster coach Michael Cheika hopes to get it right by re-introducing some of his international stars for the Magners League clash with Edinburgh at Murrayfield tonight.

LEINSTER’S Lions, Luke Fitzgerald, Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney are included in Michael Cheika’s squad for Saturday’s Magners League clash with top-of-the-table Edinburgh in Murrayfield (6.30pm).

AS Leinster bring back some heavy hitters for Friday’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium, it’s fair to assume defence coach Kurt McQuilkin has put the players through the wringer this week.

LEINSTER may have ended a run of near-misses and underachievement in glorious fashion by winning the Heineken Cup, but that will not stop Michael Cheika from imposing a change of playing style this season.

MUNSTER are hopeful Paul Warwick will be available to take his place at out-half when they begin their defence of the Magners League against Glasgow at Firhill on Friday night, (8pm Setanta Sport).

NEW Leinster second-row Nathan Hines has pinpointed the province’s progression from nearly men to European kingpins as a deciding factor in his decision to join from Edinburgh.

Captain Leo Cullen, Rocky Elsom and Brian O’Driscoll return to the Leinster Squad to prepare for the Heineken Cup final against Leicester Tigers on Saturday.

JOB done. Seven tries, just the one conceded and, most importantly, not an injury in sight.

LEINSTER’S World Cup winning prop CJ van der Linde has been ruled out of this month’s Heineken Cup final against Leicester Tigers at Murrayfield.

Munster and Leinster have named their starting teams for tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final showdown at Croke Park.

THIS was a game to get over and for a large part of it, Leinster played that way.

BERNARD JACKMAN believes his Leinster team-mate Gordon D’Arcy may still have a role to play in this summer’s Lions tour to South Africa, despite being overlooked yesterday by Ian McGeechan.

Brian O'Driscoll and Luke Fitzgerald are back in the Leinster squad for the Heineken Cup quarter final clash with Harlequins at The Twickenham Stoop on Sunday afternoon.

LEINSTER will roll out the big names for Saturday’s crucial Magners League clash with Munster at Thomond Park (7.30). The return of Brian O’Driscoll, Luke Fitzgerald, Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney was a no-brainer for coach Michael Cheika as Leinster set about trying to overhaul leaders Munster.

THE timing of Leo Cullen’s recovery from injury could hardly be more appropriate as Leinster go in search of further Magners League glory at the RDS this weekend.

THE Magners League came down to a two-horse race as defending champions Leinster overtook Munster with a gutsy second-half display against the Ospreys.

BERNARD JACKMAN returns to the Leinster line-up for tonight’s Magners League clash at the Liberty Stadium (KO: 7.05pm) in the only change from the side that defeated the Scarlets 31-17 last time out.

GORDON D’ARCY will again audition for a Six Nations starting berth this Friday when Leinster go to the Ospreys’ Liberty Stadium in search of a second successive Magners League win in Wales.

GORDON D’ARCY will have caught Ireland coach Declan Kidney’s eye as defending champions Leinster kept the heat on Magners League table-toppers Munster.

ON to April’s Heineken Cupquarter-finals Leinster go, butwith a nervous stumble rather than a confident swagger.

Rookies Cian Healy and Devin Toner and Ireland international Trevor Hogan have been asked to show their worth in the Leinster front five to lock horns with Edinburgh in a do-or-die Heineken Cup match at The RDS on Sunday.

MICHAEL CHEIKA remains upbeat about Malcolm O’Kelly’s chances of escaping further censure for the stamp on Phil Vickery last week, an act which is threatening the player’s participation in Sunday’s final Heineken Cup group game against Edinburgh.

There is uncertainty over the fitness of Leinster's two first choice props CJ van der Linde and Stan Wright ahead of their crucial Pool 2 Heineken Cup encounter with London Wasps at Twickenham on Saturday.