Celtic League: Welcome Chance For Leinster

Already assured of the league’s third spot, Leinster – minus departed coach Declan Kidney – travel to Glasgow on Saturday in search of a heartening performance more than anything else.

CELTIC LEAGUE: Week 22: Saturday, April 16
Glasgow v Leinster, Hughenden, 7.30pm (live Setanta Sports Ireland)

With trio Gerry Murphy, Bobby Byrne and Roly Meates in charge of the province and centres Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy back in tandem, there is sure to be a licence to thrill on Saturday evening.

Other Lions call-ups Shane Horgan, Malcolm O’Kelly and Denis Hickie do miss the trip with slight niggles, but all three are expected to be fit for Leinster’s impending Celtic Cup quarter-final against the league’s sixth-placed finisher, at Lansdowne Road in a fortnight.

In the pack, Reggie Corrigan will captain the side. Leo Cullen and Ben Gissing are named at second row with Keith Gleeson set for only his fourth league outing this season, at flanker.

Glasgow – due to name their side on Friday – have met Leinster on six previous occasions in the Celtic League, winning just once – 25-21 at Hughenden in September 2002.

* Meanwhile, Leinster have confirmed that in excess of 500,000 will be spent on the main and back pitch in Donnybrook and the new surface will be ready in time for the start of the new Celtic League season next September.

Head-to-head since 1999: Glasgow 2, Leinster 6
League form: Glasgow: DLLWW; Leinster: WLLWW
Top scorers: Glasgow: Calvin Howarth 137 points / Sean Lamont, Kenny Logan 5 tries each; Leinster: David Holwell 143 / Denis Hickie 6

Glasgow: Calvin Howarth; Rory Lamont, Andy Craig, Andrew Henderson, Sean Lamont; Dan Parks, Sam Pinder; Kevin Tkachuk, Gordon Bulloch, Euan Murray, Joe Beardshaw, Dan Turner, Steve Swindall, Joe Petrie (Capt), Paul Dearlove.

Replacements: Scott Lawson, Ben Prescott, Andrew Hall, John Beattie, Graeme Beveridge, Kenny Logan, Scott Barrow.

LEINSTER:

(15) Girvan Dempsey
(14) Gary Brown
(13) Brian O’Driscoll
(12) Gordon D’Arcy
(11) Kieran Lewis
(10) David Holwell
(9) Guy Easterby
(1) Reggie Corrigan (Capt)
(2) Shane Byrne
(3) Ricky Nebbett
(4) Ben Gissing
(5) Leo Cullen
(6) Des Dillon
(7) Keith Gleeson
(8) Victor Costello

Replacements:

(16) Emmett Byrne
(17) David Blaney
(18) Simon Crawford
(19) Shane Jennings
(20) Brian O’Meara
(21) Felipe Contepomi
(22) David Quinlan

Referee: Phil Fear (Wales)