O’Brien looks set to face Munster

SEÁN O’BRIEN is expected to be among a number of frontline World Cup players ushered back into the Leinster team to face Munster in the Rabobank PRO12 encounter at the Aviva Stadium on Friday evening.

However, with the Heineken Cup champions facing into 12 consecutive weeks of action, coach Joe Schmidt intends chopping and changing his line-up to keep his side as fresh as possible.

The Irish province travels to France the week after next where they will begin their European title defence against competition newcomers Montpellier before opening their home account with the visit of Glasgow Warriors to the RDS. It promises to be an energy-sapping period for players, coaches and team and Schmidt suggested at yesterday’s Heineken Cup launch in Dublin that some of his billboard names may have to take an unfamiliar back seat at times as he husbands his resources.

“It depends how Seánie has come back from the World Cup,” he said of O’Brien’s role in two days time. “It’s likely he will play a part in Friday’s game and more than likely he will start but we will manage his time at the moment.

“He was one of the most used players at the World Cup and I don’t mean that in terms of game minutes. I mean that in the amount of times he carried the ball and knocked people over.”

Different coaches have taken differing approaches to the manner in which returning players have been reintroduced.

Munster’s Tony McGahan has stated his belief that hisinternationals require two games to blend back in before European duties recommence and started six Irish internationals against Aironi last weekend with Donncha O’Callaghan on the bench.

Schmidt’s approach has been more nuanced with half of Leinster’s World Cup squad members used last weekend in Edinburgh while most of those from Declan Kidney’s first XV in New Zealand were held in reserve for another week.

Schmidt admitted with a smile that McGahan’s approach may prove the correct strategy but it is an inexact science at the best of times and the Kiwi’s plans have been muddied somewhat this week by Eoin Reddan’s sickness which puts him in doubt for Friday.

Whatever the line-up, Schmidt will be hoping that his men can gel quicker this season than last when it took three games after the return of hisinternationals from early-season down time before Leinster found their feet.

That third game happened to be Munster at the Aviva.

In hindsight, it was the fixture that transformed Leinster’s campaign and the two biggest disappointments from there through to May both came in Limerick with Magners League defeats to Munster – the second depriving them of an historic double.

“Those memories are still with a lot of guys,” said Leinster captain Leo Cullen. “It was disappointing after a season that had gone reasonably well all the way through but this is a huge challenge and you could say the same thing to them. I’m sure they would love to avenge last season’s game in the Aviva – it depends how far you want to go back. It’s another game and an opportunity for a lot of guys to put their hands up for the following week. There are always lots of motivating factors for these games. There is obviously the rivalry between two sets of players that have worked together over the last three months. There are a lot of things go into the melting pot for these games. I don’t think it necessarily boils down to revenge for a particular game. There’s enough at stake.”