RUGBY/Castres Olympique v Leinster: LEINSTER HAVE defined their Heineken European Cup campaign to date as a succession of one-off Test matches, a policy that has met with largely unqualified success. Failing to secure a bonus point last week at the RDS was a little careless given the Irish province's utter dominance of the tie but it will be rendered less significant if they prevail at the Stade Pierre Antoine tonight.
The word intensity has peppered pre-match observations from players and management and it will be an important constituent if Leinster are to prevail in the south of France. Last weekend they faced "Castres-lite," a composite first and seconds hotch-potch, bent on damage limitation rather than any genuine belief that they could topple their hosts.
There'll be more substance to the French club's challenge for a variety of reasons, not least the eight changes to the starting line-up. Captain and French second row Lionel Nallet returns after injury, so too his international team-mate Sebastien Tillous-Borde. Former All Black Chris Masoe will bolster a pack that includes five changes.
Castres have opted for mobility in their back five, manifest in the decision to put Joe Tekori in the second row, rather than the bulkier specialist, Rodrigo Capo Ortega or Colin Gaston, who captained the team last weekend.
The alterations behind the scrum are dictated by injury - former Bristol wing Phil Christophers returns - and tactics, the latter in respect for the preference for Tillous-Borde over Kevin Senio.
The French club chose this week to announce that they would be putting a new coaching team in place for next season, the timing of which seems a little baffling. It's unlikely to act as a major galvanising fillip for the players while the backroom team must privately be a little miffed despite pronouncements to the contrary.
Backs' coach Mark McCall was always returning to Ireland and it now seems likely that he will be joined by Jeremy Davidson who is also being released. It's hardly an ideal environment for players or coaches, while the backdrop to this European game is further complicated by the fact that Castres have one eye on the following weekend when they play Perpignan in the French Championship.
Despite the swingeing changes and injuries from their loss at the RDS, this still isn't the French club's strongest line-up. Castres' season to date has been underpinned by a lack of discipline in matches that has seen them give away fistfuls of penalties - 13 in the RDS - and also handicap themselves with a flush of yellow cards.
Leinster are not in rude health, encapsulated by a late fitness test to Brian O'Driscoll. If the Irish captain is forced to withdraw then Felipe Contepomi will join Luke Fitzgerald in midfield with Fergus McFadden promoted to the bench. Shane Horgan is an absentee and, based on his performance last weekend, a significant loss.
That's not to demean Simon Keogh who is a different type of player. Given any space he possesses the raw pace to finish from distance.
The other alteration to the visitors' starting line-up is the return of Shane Jennings to the backrow in place of Sean O'Brien. Jennings will bring a streetwise, hard-nosed presence that will guarantee that his side is competitive at the breakdown.
Isa Nacewa is named among the replacements but his rehabilitation from injury is offset by the loss of David Holwell. The priority for Leinster is to focus on their own performance and to address the shortcomings that pockmarked their display last week. The passing will need to be more crisp and accurate so the recipient does not have to check his run.
They will have to be more precise in their kicking game and more ruthless in exploiting any platform provided by the forwards. Castres will target the Leinster scrum in the same way the Irish province will feel that they can stymie the home side's lineout.
Munster's defeat against Clermont Auvergne offered a timely reminder that the referee can become a central figure in proceedings. Wayne Barnes was particularly strict in penalising players guilty of sealing off the ball-carrier on the ground and also not releasing on the deck: the Leinster game will be presided over by another English official in Dave Pearson.
Leinster must play the referee. His interpretation is the only one that matters, right or wrong. Castres posed one or two technical problems for Leinster last weekend - the French side reduced the numbers at lineout time to put an extra defender in midfield - and this Irish side will have to tweak their patterns to accommodate this fact.
It's not a question of the visitors adopting a more conservative approach but rather a better appreciation of how to best exploit Castres shortcomings: on that note the performances of halfbacks, Chris Whitaker and Jonno Sexton will be pivotal to the outcome.
It's a massive assignment for Leinster in the context of their season. Victory brings breathing space, defeat a claustrophobic focus on their next European assignment against Wasps at Twickenham. Leinster aspire to be the best and this is an opportunity to prove they possess the aptitude to propel themselves to the business end of the tournament.
Being considered a good team is one thing: proving it is the more persuasive argument.
Results so far (HC 2009): Leinster - bt Edinburgh (a) 27-16; bt Wasps (h) 41-11; bt Castres (h) 33-3. Castres Olympique - lost to Wasps (a) 25-11; lost to Edinburgh (h) 13-6; lost to Leinster (a) 33-3.
Previous meetings (HC 2008): Leinster 33 Castres 3.
Leading points scorers: Leinster - Felipe Contepomi 28. Castres - Cameron McIntyre 12.
Leading try scorers: Leinster - Brian O'Driscoll 4. Castres - 1. Lionel Nallet 1.
Verdict: Leinster to win.
