Omens good for holders

A GAME of firsts, this one.

Fabien Galthie’s Montpellier have never played in the Heineken Cup before and Leinster will be opening their European account on French soil for the very first time at the Stade de la Mosson, at the 17th time of asking.

It may well turn out to be Leinster’s toughest assignment in the pool stages. Then again, it may not. With the French, as always, it is impossible to say and Montpellier’s run-up to this could be interpreted two ways.

Languishing in mid-table of the Top 14, they had no game last week thanks to an outbreak of mumps in Lyon. So, are they there for the taking or will the sight of the European champions stir them into the form of their life?

They’re a territorial lot in that part of the world and the likelihood is that this will be more like the searching examination the Irish province underwent in Clermont last year than the stroll they enjoyed in Brive the year before.

Leinster’s record on the continent is good since they recorded their first win there against Montferrand back in the 2002/03 season. Six wins and six defeats, to be exact. Ten have been pool games and only twice have they returned without at least a losing bonus point.

A similar haul wouldn’t be fatal to their qualification hopes this time but they have the ammunition to strive for much more despite the absences of Brian O’Driscoll and Shane Horgan with long-term injuries.

Cian Healy is also unavailable today after tweaking a glute muscle in training and so Heinke van der Merwe lines up alongside Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross in the back row but Joe Schmidt has made two other changes to the pack.

Former Brive lock Damien Browne has been preferred to Devin Toner and Kevin McLaughlin comes in at six for Shane Jennings. Both are minor surprises but it leaves the visitors with four Irish internationals on a strong bench.

Outhalf Francois Trinh-Duc and flanker Fulgene Ouedraogo start for the first time this season as a result of duties at the World Cup and the latter packs down alongside Fiji’s Sakiusa Matadigo and Georgia’s Mamuka Gorgodze in a dangerous back row.

Injury to regular scrum-half Julien Thomas has ruled him out of the starting XV however. Just another reason why this could be the perfect launching pad for Leinster’s quest to claim back-to-back titles.