Gibbes expects battle in Cardiff before Euro test

TABLE-TOPPERS Leinster have named a close to full-strength team for today’s Rabo Pro-12 match against Cardiff.

Jamie Heaslip returns to captain a team that includes 12 Ireland internationals, and is short just three players — Isa Nacewa, Luke Fitzgerald and Heinke van der Merwe — from the side likely to play in the Heineken Cup against Glasgow next weekend.

When the teams met in the RDS little more than a month ago, Leinster trounced the visitors 52-7, but forwards coach Jono Gibbes is expecting a tougher test from a more experienced Cardiff team.

“You’d expect a pretty experienced nucleus to get the job done in terms of fronting up, being competitive and putting in place what they’re trying to do — better than they did when they were in the RDS,” says Gibbes.

“They’ve got a nucleus that has played together for the Blues for quite a few years. They can get a bit disjointed at times but gel pretty well when they put it all back together.”

Cardiff field just five survivors from that hammering today and, most significantly, are able to recall Sam Warburton, who has recovered from an ankle injury and captain’s the team at open-side flanker.

When Wales defeated Ireland in the World Cup quarter-final Warburton was their stand-out player and comfortably won the battle of the sevens against Sean O’Brien.

Warburton is also the key cog in a formidable back row — where he lines up alongside Tongan Maama Molitika and Kiwi Xavier Rush.

Neither Molitika (37) nor Rush (34) have youth on their side anymore but remain hugely formidable forces and if Leinster are to impose themselves on the game they’ll need their own back row of O’Brien, Heaslip and Kevin McLaughlin to front up.

Today’s match is also a glorious opportunity for Fergus McFadden to make a big statement after being selected at outside centre. Joe Schmidt has clearly decided to place his faith in him rather than Eoin O’Malley for the upcoming Heineken Cup matches and, if McFadden can impress in January, then he’s likely to also be handed the Ireland number 13 jersey in February for the Six Nations.

Today’s match is also a casting call for Leinster lock Devin Toner. If he is to play much of a part in the upcoming Heineken Cup matches and catch the eye of Declan Kidney, he really needs to produce a big performance today.

The big questions is how he and his second row partner Damien Browne run the lineout in the absence of team captain and set-piece general Leo Cullen.

Another interesting sub-plot will be the performances of rookie wingers Dave Kearney and Andrew Conway.

With so many Leinster players keen to make animpression and the Heineken Cup just around the corner, expect Schmidt’s team to make a serious statement of intent by convincingly bearding Cardiff in their own den.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; D Kearney, F McFadden, G D’Arcy, A Conway; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, S Cronin, M Ross; D Browne, D Toner; K McLaughlin, S O’Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: A Dundon, H van der Merwe, J Hagan, R Ruddock, L Auva’a, I Boss, I Nacewa, F Carr.

CARDIFF: G Henson, L Halfpenny, C Laualala, G Evans, T James; D Parks, L Williams; G Jenkins, M Breeze, S Andrews; B Davies, M Paterson; M Militika, S Warburton, X Rush. Replacements: R Williams, J Yapp, S Hobbs, M Cook, J Navidi, R Rees, C Sweeney, R Mustoe.