Leinster set on salvaging season after a sorry start

IN a way, a new season starts for Leinster tonight.

That Celtic League nightmare has been consigned to history and now Reggie Corrigan and his side open the Heineken European Cup campaign chapter against Bristol in Donnybrook (7.30).

And you get the feeling they are relieved and re-energised by this next step.

"We are all disappointed we failed to make the knock-out stages of the Celtic League," Corrigan admits. "But that's all behind us now. We must look to the future and that is the European Cup."

But even after the problematic preparations and genuine excuses to explain away their poor form, the captain feels disappointed by the past two months action.

"It is annoying not to be in a position to defend our position as champions. Still, there is nothing we can do about it now. The squad has been together for the last couple of weeks and we know we have not taken a step backwards despite our failure to qualify in the Celtic League."

Corrigan will not lead out the side as usual this evening. But with good reason. "We are giving Gordon D'Arcy the opportunity because he has gone passed the 50 cap mark for the province. He was supposed to lead us out in the second last game but we allowed Shane Byrne, whose wife produced twins shortly before the kick-off, that honour.

"Bristol may be close to the bottom of the table in England but they have a lot of very good players and will be right up for this game. From our point of view, however, it is the perfect situation to have our opening game at home in front of our own fans."

Yet such expectation and expectancy is tempered by Corrigan's common sense.

"It's not going to be easy. We have studied recent videos of Bristol and learned enough to put ourselves on guard. I don't think they have got the results they deserved.

"From our point of view it is important to have had a game with the full side behind us. But we still have to perform and home advantage will count for nothing much if we don't play to our potential."

That potential factor, is something which, of course, Leinster is blessed with. So can they live up to those expectations?

"I think we have played a pretty good brand of rugby over the last couple of years but really didn't achieve what we promised to do apart, of course, from that win in the Celtic League last season.

"It's all about experience and I feel we may have learned from the lessons of the last year or so. The important thing is that we beat Bristol, because you really have to win home games to have any chance of progressing in the Heineken Cup."

One of the most intriguing personal battles will be that between Brian O'Driscoll and Kiwi Daryl Gibson, who gave up a potential place in the All Blacks World Cup squad to join Bristol. It's a decision he doesn't seem to regret just yet.

"It was a huge choice for me to make stay at home and push for a place in the side for the World Cup or try my luck with Bristol. I had a number of offers but Bristol, having their first taste of the Heineken Cup clinched it for me. European competition is a brilliant concept and it is starting to match the Super 12."

Meanwhile, the Connacht team to play Mont de Marsan in the first leg of their Parker Pen Challenge Cup tie in France (7.30 pm local time) shows six changes from the side which lost last weekend to Pontypridd.

Gavin Duffy returns from an ankle injury for his first competitive game of the season and replaces Mark McHugh at fullback. James Norton comes onto the right wing for Ted Robinson while Darren Yapp replaces Dermot O'Sullivan in the centre. Peter Bracken replaces Dan McFarland in the front row, while Damien Browne is selected in the second row in place of injured Warwick Waugh. Johnny O'Connor returns from injury at No 7 and replaces the injured Michael Swift.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey, D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, G D'Arcy, C Warner, B O'Meara, R Corrigan (captain), S Byrne, P Wallace, L Cullen, M O'Kelly, A McCullen/B Gissing, D Dillon, V Costello, K Gleeson.

BRISTOL: S Drahm, D Rees, M Shaw, D Gibson, P Christophers, F Contemponi, A Pichot, D Crompton, S Nelson, E Bergamaschi, G Archer (captain), A Browne, C Shortt, M Lipman, B Sternham.

CONNACHT (v Mont de Marsan): G Duffy; J Norton, D Yapp, S Moore (capt), W Munn; E Elwood, E Reddan; R McCormack, M Uijs, P Bracken; D Browne, R Frost; C Rigney, J O'Connor, J O'Sullivan.

NORTHAMPTON (v Ulster): N Beal; O Ripol; M Tucker; J Leslie; B Cohen; P Grayson; M Dawson; T Smith; S Thompson; R Morris; S Williams; M Connors; A Blowers; B Poutney (captain); M Soden.

Replacements: C Budgen; M Stewart; J Phillips; G Seely; J Howard; J Brooks; J Sleightholme.