Munster v Leinster Tomorrow, Musgrave Pk On TV: Setanta, 3pm: Appetites whetted by their wins over the other provinces last week, this looms as the match of the season so far. They can be as taut as a guitar string, have enough needle to fill a haystack and sometimes don't always flow like honey, but Munster-Leinster affairs are rarely dull.
Fine-tuned by a month of rugby and increasing signs of good form as the Heineken European Cup nears, they are nicely primed. There's the added intrigue of the Declan Kidney factor, but come kick-off it will be about the players.
Summer departures, the emergence of Ulster's home crop and injuries have contrived to dilute some of the more eye-catching head-to-heads, although it's a chance for every native player to put down a marker of sorts for the autumn Tests, not to mention the in-house bragging rights.
Anthon Pitout makes his debut for Munster in a starting line-up alongside Trevor Halstead and Shaun Payne, who returns from injury. So too does Alan Quinlan (in a typically indigenous, hard-nosed Munster pack), while Tomás O'Leary - in only his second Munster start - is handed the scrumhalf jersey in place of the injured Peter Stringer.
Barry Murphy, impressive in Payne's absence, drops to the bench, which also features fit-again David Wallace. Pitout and Payne were always liable to start given this was Munster's last game before their Euro opener away to Sale in a fortnight.
This week it's Leinster's turn to play silly buggers, by declining to finalise their three-quarter line. The likelihood is that Robert Kearney, an ever-present with three tries in four games thus far, will drop to the bench to afford Gordon D'Arcy more match time, perhaps on the wing, with Shane Horgan's physicality preferred in the midfield. Eric Miller returns to the backrow in place of Ciarán Potts, with the hugely talented Jamie Heaslip retained at number eight, while Brian O'Meara starts at scrumhalf in place of the injured Guy Easterby.
Historically, there's never been much between the sides, although lately the force has been more with Munster, who've won four of the last five meetings.
It's not quite so simple as suggesting that Munster's chances hinge on devouring the Leinster pack in a typically brutish show of forward strength, mauling them into the dirt and enabling Ronan O'Gara to kick for territory and kick the goals. Nor that Leinster's backs will serve up victory if their pack can achieve some sort of parity.
While being more selective about when they go wide, a slightly new-look Munster have been scoring tries. Leinster, when obtaining quick ruck ball last week without overcommitting, hit a more impressive tempo, could have scored a truckload, and possibly have the better array of gamebreakers.
Nonetheless, Munster do have a more proven lineout, where Leinster have misfired to some extent this season in all their games. With two in-form goalkickers it could be high-scoring, and if there's quick ruck ball about, it could even be a cracker.
MUNSTER: S Payne; J Kelly, G Connolly, T Halstead, A Pitout; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, A Quinlan, D Leamy, A Foley (capt). Replacements: J Flannery, F Pucciarello, T Hogan, D Wallace, F Murphy, P Burke, B Murphy.
LEINSTER: (15-11 from G Dempsey/D Hickie /S Horgan/F Contepomi/G D'Arcy/R Kearney); C Warner, B O'Meara; R Corrigan, B Jackman, W Green, B Gissing, B Williams, E Miller, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: R McCormack, D Blaney, C Potts, D Dillon, B O'Riordan, K Lewis. (One from 15-11 list tbc).
Referee: S McDowell (IRFU).
LAST FIVE MEETINGS: (03-04) (CL) - Leinster 8 Munster 15; Munster 24 Leinster 13. (04-05) Leinster 17 Munster 15; Munster 19 Leinster 13; (CC s/f) Leinster 17 Munster 23.
FORMGUIDE: Munster - 9-7 v Borders (h); 37-10 v Ospreys (h); 10-32 v Glasgow (a); 14-13 v Llanelli (h); 44-9 v Connacht (a). Leinster - 20-22 v Ospreys (a); 26-21 v Glasgow (h); 33-14 v Dragons (h); 30-23 v Ulster (h).
FORECAST: Munster to win.
