Battered Leinster will know what they require

Leinster, grateful for the 24-hour respite which Toulouse sportingly granted them by deferring their final pool game until tomorrow, are liable to see the other side of the home side's hospitality come kick-off.

Toulouse may have nothing tangible to play for, but the inaugural winners have their pride, and with Leinster expected to draw twice the 5,000 crowd which Newport attracted last weekend, the newly crowned league champions are a more prized scalp than they've ever been. This is liable to be every bit as tough as it looks.

Given that they are playing their second away game inside six days, Leinster may delay naming their side until tomorrow to give their walking wounded every chance to recover. Nonetheless, barring an overnight detour via Lourdes, Matt Williams admits the chances of them having the services of their established playmaker cum goalkicker, Nathan Spooner (damaged rib), and their primary ball winner, Malcolm O'Kelly (bruised cheekbone), are twofold. Slim or none at all.

Sporting the mother of all red-tinged bruises on his right eye, O'Kelly still gives himself a chance.

But Leinster are suddenly looking a little thin in these two affected areas, with Bob Casey (just back from a knee operation) and Trevor "body on the line" Brennan suffering from bruised ribs.

So two back-rowers, Liam Toland and Aidan McCullen, would be named on the bench. The likeliest Plan B at half-back would be a Ben Willis-Brian O'Meara combination.

The loss of Spooner and O'Kelly would be quite a double whammy, though judging by the Leinster coach's sang-froid yesterday in the Hotel Sofitel by Toulouse airport (Munster's base when they won in Castres last season), they're taking it on the chin.

Grateful, too, that the squad travelled by private charter from Leeds on Wednesday (all the more so as Leinster connections were detained for seven hours in Gatwick yesterday), and having benefited from the few days together, Williams pointed out this was their fourth hotel in a week.

"The boys have been great and the Newcastle game was very good for us. It's really focused us back on the Heineken Cup."

Come kick-off Leinster expect they will need to win in order to procure a much-cherished home quarter-final in two weeks, though at least they'll have the advantage of playing after all the other relevant results are in.

Conceivably, Leinster could be in a position to lose and score a specific amount of tries to obtain that home quarter-final.

"We're aware of them all ourselves, but we won't even tell the guys the possibilities," maintained Williams, "because you're just wasting mental energy. We're going out to win the game."

Every Leinster game this season brings its new challenges, and after four previous failed attempts in France, Leinster have a new mental hurdle to scale. "That's next on our checklist."

And after that will come a first knock-out win in Europe, then maybe a semi-final . . .

First up, though, are Toulouse. Like Leinster, the crack French outfit await late fitness checks on Emile Ntamack, lock David Gerard and back-rower Sylvain Dispagne. If passed fit, they will then in effect be fielding a full-strength side.

The notion that a French side at home in the cup has nothing to play for is a contradiction in terms: witness Perpignan beating Llanelli 42-9 and Toulouse beating Newport 36-23 last weekend.

Toulouse take the home-and-away French version of Jekyll and Hyde to particularly ridiculous extremes. Recalling their 100-point turnaround against Ebbw Vale a couple of years ago, and their 50-point turnaround within a week this season, it's also relevant to note that in the corresponding game last season Toulouse had nothing tangible to play for at home to a Cardiff side which needed a win for a home quarter-final. Toulouse won 38-27.

Having started off with three handsome wins, Toulouse have just one win from their last six outings against Irish sides, and they must be getting tired of this pattern.

"They'll maul us occasionally but they'll throw it around and look for quick ball. It'll be like the Barbarians," reckons Williams.

So, no let-up then. This is yet another toughie, but then Leinster have never looked tougher. With Spooner and O'Kelly there, you'd back them, but . . .

Toulouse v Leinster (Sunday)

Stade des Sept Deniers (2.30 local time, 1.30 Irish)

Live on RTÉ Radio One medium wave.

TOULOUSE (possible): C Poitreneau; E Ntamack/C Heymans, C Desbrosse, X Garbajosa, N Jean-Jean; Y Delaigue, F Michalak; A Lo Cicero, Y Bru, F Tournaire, F Pelous, D Gerard/H Miorin, J Boulhou, S Dispagne/C Labit, F Maka.

LEINSTER (possible): G Dempsey; G D'Arcy, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, D Hickie; B O'Meara, B Willis; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, P Wallace, B Casey, L Cullen, T Brennan, V Costello, K Gleeson.

REFEREE: Steve Leyshon (England).

PREVIOUS MEETINGS: 1997-98 - Leinster 25 Toulouse 34, Toulouse 38 Leinster 19.

2001-02 - Leinster 40 Toulouse 10.

LEADING TRY SCORERS: Toulouse - Marfain 3. Leinster - O'Driscoll 3.

LEADING POINTS SCORERS: Toulouse - Marfain 36. Leinster - Spooner 55.

FORECAST: Toulouse to win.