Byrne expects pack to deliver the punch

European Cup

Edinburgh, whether Gunners, Reivers or simply Rugby, have proved to be ornery adversaries for Leinster since the turn of the century, specifically with regard to the Heineken European Cup. When the pools for this season's competition were announced the Irish province found themselves pitted against three teams in Leicester Tigers, Toulouse and Edinburgh against whom they have losing records.

The statistic relating to the first two is understandable given the fact they have won five European Cups between them, but casual observers might be surprised that the Scottish side have conceded just one victory in four matches to Leinster.

In assessing this phenomenon ahead of tomorrow night's game between the sides and the return at Murrayfield on Saturday week, few are better placed than Emmett Byrne who played in a couple of the aforementioned matches.

"I suppose the first point would be in relation to the mental side of those matches. Edinburgh wouldn't have had the biggest packs or teams for that matter that you would have come up against in those days but they were extremely fit, very competitive in all facets of the game and defended well. They'd last the pace and be strong at the finish of matches.

"Against some of the more celebrated teams we'd look to hang in games and then use the ability of our backs and superior fitness to dominate in the last 20 minutes. Against Edinburgh that rarely happened. They had the knack of staying with you, were very well drilled and focused on stopping the other team playing.

"You didn't have that trepidation or fear factor going into their back yard and that can sometimes undermine your physical preparation."

Byrne played in the game at Myreside in 2000 when Edinburgh prevailed 29-21. Matt Williams had only recently taken charge of Leinster. The former Ireland and Leinstertighthead prop explained: "It's only fair to point out that Leinster would not have been considered a force in Europe at that point. In terms of that group of players we only started to kick on in subsequent campaigns. In that particular game I don't think we believed we could actually win.

"In the second clash that year at Donnybrook we were well ahead (34-17) going into the final quarter of the game but those qualities that I spoke about before, fitness, attitude and that unrelenting spirit meant that Edinburgh continued to play.

"I remember we were leading by three points 34-31 going into about the fifth or sixth minute of injury time and we got a penalty but failed to find touch. They ran the ball back and it eventually ended up in a scrum. Gary Halpin had come on at tighthead - I was playing loosehead that day - and for some reason the referee penalised him.

"Amazingly Edinburgh chose to take the points even though the draw was no good to them in terms of trying to qualify. It meant that for us to make the knockout stages we had to go to Biarritz the following week and win, which we failed to do."

The Scottish side also managed to heap a little misery on tomorrow night's opponents during their European clash last season at Murrayfield. That defeat (25-24) effectively cost Leinster a home quarter-final although they did manage to exact a measure of revenge in winning 49-10 at the RDS.

Byrne is confident that Leinster now possess a pack that can lay the platform for a victory, complete with bonus point at the Dublin venue tomorrow night. "The important thing for Leinster will be to accept mentally that Edinburgh won't stop for the 80 minutes and to stress the importance of concentration."

Despite a thumping away to Leicester, Edinburgh have enjoyed some good form in recent weeks. They certainly won't be cowed by tomorrow night's challenge.

 Leinster v Edinburgh For the record

October 2006 Edinburgh 25 Leinster 24

This defeat cost Leinster a home quarter-final and was a setback suffered largely at the Irish province's own hand. Indiscipline and basic errors proved a calamitous cocktail on this cold October day at Murrayfield, although in mitigation the Irish province crafted three cracking tries. It made the defeat all the more galling.

Chris Paterson kicked five penalties and converted a try from centre Rob Dewey but victory wasn't clinched until the third minute of injury time when replacement outhalf Duncan Hodge dropped a goal. Leinster managed a brace of tries from fullback Girvan Dempsey and a third from replacement Luke Fitzgerald who had come on for Denis Hickie.

Felipe Contepomi added nine points with the boot. Leinster fans will recall that Dempsey's second try came in the 80th minute, converted by Contepomi to nudge the visitors 24-22 in front but an error at the ensuing kickoff allowed Edinburgh to reclaim possession and set up field position for Hodge.

EDINBURGH: H Southwell; C Paterson (capt), M Di Rollo, R Dewey, S Webster; P Godman, M Blair; A Jacobsen, D Hall, A Dickson; M Mustchin, S Murray; A Strokosch, R Rennie, D Callam. Replacements: C Smith for Dickinson (54 mins); D Hodge for Godman (56 mins); A MacDonald for Rennie (68 mins).

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll (capt), G D'Arcy, D Hickie; F Contepomi, C Willis; R McCormack, B Blaney, W Green; T Hogan, M O'Kelly; S Keogh, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: O Finegan for Hogan (half-time); H Vermaas for Keogh (44-49 mins); L Fitzgerald for Hickie (44 mins); C Jowitt for Keogh (75 mins). Sinbinned: Blaney.

Referee: J Jutge (France).

January 2001 Leinster 34 Edinburgh 34

Donnybrook was the backdrop to quite an extraordinary finish to this European Cup clash in which Leinster coughed up a 10-point advantage in injury time to allow Edinburgh escape with a draw. It ensured that the Irish province had to go to Biarritz the following week and win to make the play-offs, a task that was beyond them.

Leinster led 24-9 at the interval with tries from Bob Casey, Eddie Hekenui and Brian O'Meara with the latter tagging on a further nine points from placed balls. When Leo Cullen touched down, the home side led by 34-17 with a little under 20 minutes remaining but would concede 17 points in that period, 10 of them in injury time when the home side twice failed to find touch.

October 2000 Edinburgh 29 Leinster 21

Leinster's New Zealand born outhalf Eddie Hekenui had a night to forget with the placed ball prompting the then new coach Matt Williams to say in the aftermath of the match: "You can't win matches unless you have an 80 per cent kicking average in a game. We didn't meet those standards. I thought we played very well for the most part. There were errors but also a lot of very positive rugby. We have had only two sessions with this team but with a clear run on injuries I think we can move forward quickly."

The Reivers led 16-11 at half-time but the visitors conceded a soft try to Simon Taylor after the break before a great Denis Hickie break culminated in Malcolm O'Kelly being driven over from a lineout. A try from scrumhalf Kevin Putt saw Leinster close the gap to 24-21 but some porous defence was eventually punished by Kevin Utterson.

EDINBURGH: C Paterson; K Milligan, C Joiner, K Utterson, C Murray; G Ross, G Burns; A Jacobsen, S Scott, B Stewart; N Hines, R Metcalfe; D McKinnon (capt), S Taylor, M Taylor. Replacements: G Dall for M Taylor (25 mins); A Lucking for McKinnon (46 mins); D Hodge for Ross (57 mins); C Smith for Stewart (65 mins); G Shiel for Joiner (71 mins); Stewart for Jacobsen (74 mins); I Fairley for Utterson (80 mins).

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, G D'Arcy; E Hekenui, K Putt; R Corrigan, S Byrne, E Byrne; M O'Kelly, L Cullen; E Miller, V Costello, L Toland (capt). Replacements: P Smyth for S Byrne (56 mins); R Casey for Cullen (62 mins); G Halpin for E Byrne (63 mins); T Brennan for Miller (77 mins); M McHugh for Hekenui (78 mins); P McKenna for Hickie (79 mins).

Referee: D Gillet (France).