Cheika will have a strong hand to select from

HEINEKEN CUP:BRIAN O'DRISCOLL, Shane Horgan and Kevin McLaughlin were all restored to an expanded, 24-man Leinster squad yesterday, with Michael Cheika declaring all three should be fit to play for the Heineken Cup holders against Clermont Auvergne in Friday's quarter-final at the RDS.

Horgan, who injured a foot in the win over the Scarlets on February 20th, only returned to training yesterday afternoon and remains their biggest concern.

With Luke Fitzgerald sidelined and David Kearney only returning to training recently, Leinster's options on the wing are none too plentiful.

While Girvan Dempsey's experience and solidity were invaluable in helping a callow backline to three successive wins during the Six Nations hiatus, Cheika will be keen to keep the rejuvenated Rob Kearney at fullback.

Thus, necessity being the mother of invention, Horgan is likely to be recalled.

O'Driscoll, who last played in Ireland's defeat to Scotland three weeks ago, is the least of Cheika's concerns, not least as the Irish captain could probably be put in cold storage for a month and it wouldn't discommode him unduly. Class is permanent and all that.

McLaughlin, too, is set to be recalled after recovering from the shoulder injury he picked up in the win over Glasgow on St Patrick's Day.

If so, then Nathan Hines is likely to revert to the secondrow.

That would leave Cheika and his coaching staff to decide upon the starting props, with Leinster set to have a strong hand in Cian Healy, CJ van der Linde, Stanley Wright and Mike Ross.

Presuming the recalled trio all start, then the final two squad places would seem to rest between Devin Toner and Malcolm O'Kelly, and Fergus McFadden and Dempsey.

Friday's game will be played in front of an increased, sell-out, capacity crowd of almost 20,000.

Cheika was in the Stade de France on Saturday on a reconnaissance mission at Clermont's somewhat dreary 19-10 defeat to Stade Francais and found it instructive.

"When you come into the week before the match, what you're looking for is confirmation of things you might have seen on tape, which we got.

"It was a good physical match, and we were able to confirm a lot of things."

The crack French outfit have stumbled of late, losing to Stade and Bayonne either side of an unconvincing win at home to a second-string Montpellier.

But they are likely to restore Jamie Cudmore and Thibaut Privat to their secondrow, along with Brock James at outhalf and either Gonzalo Canale or Seremaia Bai at inside centre in a nearly full-strength line-up.

"They didn't win the game, obviously, but if you look at their performances over the entire season, they're a real power-pack and they've got some unbelievable threats that we're going to have to deal with, as well as a really strong defence and an excellent kicking game," said the Leinster coach.

"They're very complete, really, an all-round package, which their position in the Top 14 table entitles them to be."

Though Clermont lie fourth, two points outside the two automatic semi-final places in a tight top five, Cheika noted that none of the leading three clubs (Perpignan, Castres and Toulon) are involved in the Heineken Cup and did not have as many international call-ups as Clermont did in the Six Nations.

Beaten finalists in the Top 14 for the last three years, and 10 times in all in their quest for a first Bouclier du Brennus, Cheika believes the team coached by Vern Cotter and his assistant Joe Schmidt (next season's new Leinster head coach) are the most complete club side in France.

"They seem to have a bit of everything. They've got big power up front, an excellent set-piece. They can be very destructive, and that includes the maul.

"And they've got interesting play-makers. (Morgan) Parra's obviously had a fantastic Six Nations. He's orchestrating everything there around the base.

"Then there's (Brock) James, and obviously a lot of threats in their back line, and off their bench as well.

"So yeah, we see them as probably the best team operating in France at the moment.

"And it really resonates with us. It's going to be a massive game."

Leinster come into this game on the back of a 10-match unbeaten run, dating to the defeat to the Dragons in early December when effectively picking what amounted to their espoirs.

That said, Cheika is mindful that their earlier win over Munster this season was followed, a week later, by the 12-9 loss to London Irish - which remains their only defeat in 10 games at the RDS this season.

"It makes this week a lot easier in that you've got a smile on your face. But that's really about it," said Cheika in reference to last Friday's win.

"We've learnt too many times in all competitions that the last week is nothing unless you back it up. That's what it's all about. This is sudden death football. It's going to come down to who wants it more on the night, I think."

The bedrock of their unbeaten run, or their fall-back, has been their often impenetrable blanket defence, which was back to its parsimonious best in Thomond Park.

"We're going to be tested to the limit," ventured Cheika.

LEINSTER (squad v Clermont): Forwards: L Cullen, J Fogarty, C Healy, J Heaslip, N Hines, B Jackman, S Jennings, S Keogh, K McLaughlin, M O'Kelly, M Ross, D Toner, CJ van der Linde, S Wright. Backs: S Berne, G D'Arcy, G Dempsey, S Horgan, R Kearney, F McFadden, I Nacewa, P O'Donohoe, B O'Driscoll, E Reddan, J Sexton.