Kidney transplant not a factor

Brendan O’Brien

fter a disappointing season for Irish rugby, this weekend's meeting of these old adversaries is a welcome fillip, especially to a tournament that has been much-maligned.

Kidney's recent hop to Munster isn't the only interesting sidebar to the contest. Victor Costello will be facing the old enemy for the last time

before retirement, while nine Lions will be eager to make an impression on Clive Woodward before the trip to New Zealand.

"A lot of guys have different angles ," said Costello yesterday.

"It's a very happy squad and that's a credit to the management. I certainly want to beat them this weekend and our Lions guys are playing very well. Everyone's got a bite, even apart from the fact it's against the old enemy."

Leinster's stand-in coach Gerry Murphy aped Costello's example of sidestepping the Kidney factor with an efficiency that would do Brian O'Driscoll proud.

"Munster-Leinster matches, what can you say?" asked Murphy.

"It'll be the normal challenge. One of the problems actually is everybody knows each other so well and that can somehow negate the game, but I don't think that's going to happen.

"(The Kidney situation) has no relevance to me. Munster-Leinster games are very special in their own right and always have been. Myself and Roly Meates coached a Leinster side years ago against Munster and it was exactly the same then. You always want to beat Munster."

If Leinster aren't ready to take the bait on Kidney, then they were far quicker to rail against the suggestion that their season up to now has been an unmitigated failure.

Murphy pointed out that they qualified from their Heineken Cup pool as top seeds, finished third in the Celtic League and secured a home draw for the Celtic Cup quarter-finals.

"The season always goes into a bit of a head-spin at this time of year unless you're in the European Cup final. People will always say it peters out," said Keith Gleeson.

"The Celtic Cup is very important to Munster and Leinster because in the League we're both stretched.

"We're both using 35-40 players throughout the year. The Celtic Cup gives the provinces the chance to have our strongest 15 on the pitch over three or four consecutive weekends."

According to Gleeson, the inaugural Celtic League final in 2001 was the last time both provinces faced off with their strongest possible XVs starting and Munster won't need reminding how that day ended.

"Without a doubt, that is one of the great days of my career with Leinster," admitted the wing-forward.

"I'd love a repeat of that winning performance this Sunday. When Leinster and Munster come face-to-face, there's no place to hide on the field."

Nevertheless, it's Munster who are always portrayed as the ones who get things done, or die trying. Leinster are the team that is constantly vilified as the side where the sum adds up to considerably less than the individual parts.

"There is always a black and white when it comes to Leinster and Munster," the 29-year old accepts.

"That's something we have to live with as professional athletes.

"We'd all love the kudos that Munster get, it's just a case of having to win more competitions to earn that. I can live with it. I can go home at the end of the day knowing I'm giving my all and I know a lot of the players around me are giving their all."

Yet, Gleeson accepts that any repeat of last weekend's mid-game slump against Glasgow, when they coughed up 15 points without reply, can't be repeated if they are to give Costello a final send-off a week later. With that in mind, Leinster have restored Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie to the wings with two more Lions Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy in the middle. Two changes in the pack see Emmett Byrne returning to partner Shane Byrne and skipper Reggie Corrigan in the front row, while Leo Cullen partners Malcolm O'Kelly in the second row. The replacements' bench will be confirmed closer to kick-off.

LEINSTER (v Munster): G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, D Hickie; D Holwell, G Easterby; R Corrigan, S Byrne, E Byrne; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; D Dillon, K Gleeson, V Costello.