Win or bust for depleted Leinster

STILL only October and yet one team’s Heineken Cup ambitions will already lie in tatters once Leinster and Glasgow Warriors are done with each other at Hughenden tomorrow.

It’s a sobering thought for two sides that share other similarities whether it be chronic injury lists, a penchant for spreading ball through the hands or even an apparent inability to win matches when it counts.

Leinster’s failure to land a killer punch on Bath at the RDS last weekend is something Hugh Campbell’s side will be familiar with. Four of their five Celtic League defeats this season have been by less than a converted try.

One of those was the five-point defeat to Michael Cheika’s side last month in Donnybrook and Leinster scrum-half Brian O’Riordan is aware that they present a very different challenge to Bath’s ‘stick it up the jumper’ approach.

“They are a good side. They ran us close a couple of weeks ago in the Celtic League and they played very well over in Bourgoin last week so we’ve a lot of video footage of them. They play with a lot of width and pace and they also have a good kicking game.

“They do have a contrasting game plan to Bath but we improved our defence last week. Hopefully we can continue that improvement but it’s a tough assignment,” he said.

Leinster, of course, again find themselves facing 80 minutes without three British and Irish Lions (O’Driscoll, Hickie and Miller) among others, but the return of Malcolm O’Kelly to the starting line-up for the first time this season and Will Green’s recovery from a chest infection are major plusses.

Reggie Corrigan becomes only the third man to win 100 caps for the province, while Bernard Jackman starts as hooker having come on as a replacement for the injured David Blaney at the RDS.

Glasgow are drawing deeply from the reserves. They’re without an entire back row of international players in Jon Petrie, Donnie Macfayden and Andy Wilson while key backs Andy Craig and Scott Barrow are also injured.

In total, nine players are currently in sick bay though there is some good news with the return of Rory Lamont, who missed the defeat in France, to the centre. The only other change sees Graydon Staniforth replace Colin Shaw at full-back.

Despite their travails, seven of the team named for tomorrow’s game have recently been called up for Frank Hadden’s 32-man Scotland training squad. Lock Gregor Hayter, who starts on the bench, makes it eight.

However, the many ailments have presented some of the younger players with the chance to shine. None more so than 19-year old John Beattie whose rampaging at number eight has earned him a call-up and whose impact has mirrored that made by his opposite number at Leinster Jamie Heaslip.