Magners League Previews:THE HOME side must slip on the hair shirt of expectation that accompanies a team leading the Magners League by eight points as the season reaches its final cluster of matches.
Leinster coach Michael Cheika is keen to employ the simple yet effective psychological tool of focusing on each match as a single entity. He explained: "It's so clichéd, but we have tried hard to block off everything else around the game that is in front of us. We know they (Glasgow) have given us so much trouble before.
"They're a strong, running team, play an offload game, if they're allowed to. Defensively, we have made some adjustments to the way we're defending too so the integration of the defensive to the attack is important. We want to make sure our ball-winning, set-piece and starter-play are in place. If we can keep looking blindly at the next game, like it's the only game left, I think we can get what we want and that's the only way that we're looking at Glasgow."
The Australian has employed his returning Ireland internationals, with Rob Kearney (fullback), Shane Horgan (right wing) and Luke Fitzgerald (left wing) returning on to the backline. Cheika is happy to persevere with a midfield axis of Michael Berne and Christian Warner but much of the midfield creativity is likely to come from Felipe Contepomi.
Up front, Leo Cullen returns to the secondrow and will captain the side, while Cheika has named Shane Jennings and Keith Gleeson as his flankers, thereby reducing the bulk of the pack, but gaining a ball-handling dynamism and poaching qualities on the floor. He's still got a couple of decisions to make with regard to the bench.
The task facing Glasgow is articulated by the fact Leinster have lost just one of their last 29 matches at home. The Scottish side rest Dan Parks, instead asking Colin Gregor to partner the team's top try scorer, scrumhalf Sam Pinder, at halfback.
Glasgow have made four changes to the side that beat the Ospreys 9-6 last time out. Thom Evans replaces his older brother Max on the left wing, whilst Gregor comes in for Parks. In the pack, Dougie Hall returns at hooker and Dan Turner lines up alongside Andy Newman in the secondrow as a direct replacement for injured club captain Alastair Kellock. Former Leicester Tiger Daryl Gibson will take over as captain.
Glasgow coach Sean Lineen said: "Our last game against Leinster was a close one at Firhill and we only clinched it with a score very late on so this weekend is going to be tough, especially against the league leaders."
Still the Scots are in the position to complete a seasonal double over Leinster but the home side should be a little too streetwise to be sucker punched again.
Leinster v Glasgow.
Venue: RDS Kick-off: 7.30 On TV: Setanta Ireland
LEINSTER:R Kearney; S Horgan, C Warner, M Berne, L Fitzgerald; F Contepomi, C Whitaker; O le Roux, B Jackman, S Wright; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; S Jennings, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: C Healy/S Knoop, B Blaney, T Hogan, C Jowitt/S Keogh, C Keane, J Sexton, G Brown.
Glasgow: B Stortoni; L Fa'atau, G Morrison, D Gibson (capt), T Evans; C Gregor, S Pinder; E Kalman, D Hall, M Low; A Newman, D Turner; J Eddie, D Macfadyen, J Beattie. Replacements: E Milligan, J Va'a, O Palepoi, R Vernon, R Jackson, S Barrow, H O'Hare.
Referee:Hugh Watkins (Wales).
Last meeting:Glasgow 21 Leinster 17.
Leading points scorers:Leinster - Felipe Contepomi 74. Glasgow - Dan Parks 90.
Leading try scorers:Leinster - Luke Fitzgerald 5. Glasgow - Sam Pinder 3.
Verdict:Leinster to win.
P W D L F A B Pts
Leinster12 9 1 2 269 189 3 41
Cardiff12 7 0 5 228 209 5 33
Llanelli12 6 0 6 274 208 7 31
Munster11 6 1 4 200 155 4 30
Edinburgh12 5 3 4 198 191 4 30
Glasgow12 5 1 6 198 222 3 25
Ospreys12 4 1 7 217 175 7 25
Dragons12 5 1 6 197 268 1 23
Ulster11 4 1 6 170 227 2 20
Connacht12 3 1 8 147 254 2 16
