Leinster have the experience to get the job done

It’s just less than three years since Leinster last pitched up at Parc Y Scarlets on Heineken Cup duty, and how they would love a repeat today of a performance that coughed up all five points.

The visitors played some sublime rugby that day and earned the bonus point courtesy of their four tries, but it was a performance built first and foremost on a granite defence and aggressive intent up front.

Though a December fixture, Leinster’s form at the time had been mixed which bears further comparison to their well-being right now and this latest performance will be picked clean by the critics after their lucky escape against Exeter Chiefs seven days ago.

Both sides will be in better health than they were seven days ago with Joe Schmidt and Simon Easterby making just two changes apiece to the XVs which kicked off their campaigns last weekend.

Gordon D’Arcy returns at inside centre following his rib injury with Fergus McFadden moving to the wing in place of Andrew Conway, who drops to the bench, while Sean Cronin slots in at hooker for the recently excellent Richardt Strauss who sits in reserve.

The home side will will feel the blow of losing Welsh international centre Jonathan Davies. Gareth Maule replaces him at 13.

The other alteration is more positive with the club’s top try scorer, Andy Fenby, back on the wing after injury while Morgan Stoddard’s relegation to the replacements shack caps a forgettable week after his red card in France.

The Scarlets’ view is that their generally less-than-fearsome forward unit will be able to contend with Leinster’s today. If they can achieve parity there then they have a back line which is in theory capable of doing serious damage to a defensive line that only kept its first clean sheet of the season against the Chiefs.

For the Scarlets it is win or bust but Leinster know they can ill afford to lose ground ahead of their back-to-back tussles with Clermont and they are well versed in the art of dealing with these ‘should win’ encounters by now.

Verdict: Leinster