Dunne steps into breach

Leinster named their starting line-up to meet Swansea this afternoon with only one position left undecided. Blindside flanker is still open to either Declan O'Brien or Trevor Brennan. Eric Miller, who injured his shoulder midweek against Bridgend, was declared fit to play but was not selected. Miller's omission is in part to give Brennan and O'Brien a run, but is also seen as a precaution.

Openside flanker Liam Toland captains the side while Irish under-21 Andy Dunne hopes to seize his chance at outhalf in the absence of the injured Emmett Farrell. He is partnered by former Munster scrumhalf Brian O'Meara.

Girvan Dempsey is named at full back in the absence of Peter McKenna but both players are versatile enough to fill wing and centre positions for the first interprovincial match.

Round Two of the Leinster section of the Millennium sevens competition takes place tomorrow with 16 clubs taking part at Templeville Road from 2pm to 5pm. The finals will take place on Sunday 27th at Terenure College. The top eight clubs from each province qualify. The National finals will take place on September 3rd at Old Belvedere with the overall winner advancing to represent "Club Ireland" in the Benidorm Sevens next year.

Finally, a correction: Bernard Moffatt is secretary-general of The Celtic League, a political organisation, and not a WRU officer.

Harlequins and London Irish will lock horns today in a match that promises an explosive start to the English Premiership season. While champions Leicester get underway at Wasps and strongly-fancied Bath visit Sale, Harlequins take on their former tenants at The Stoop.

And it will be no place for faint hearts, given recent history that has unfolded between the London rivals.

Irish claimed that Harlequins kicked them out of the clubs' ground-sharing arrangement a year early, and said so publicly. Quins consistently denied that charge. Chris Sheasby is among six new signings being unveiled by Irish today, and there could be no better place for the aggrieved England international to make his point.

Keith Wood and Will Greenwood have returned to Harlequins from Garryowen and Leicester respectively, while summer additions include Scottish international Eric Peters and England A man Roy Winters.

The biggest signing of all, Australian World Cup winner David Wilson, is scheduled to make his Premiership debut against Bristol on September 16th after completing this season's Tri-Nations series.

Leinster - G Dempsey; J Norton, S Horgan, M McHugh, D Hickie; A Dunne, B O'Meara; R Corrigan, S Byrne, E Byrne, B Casey, M O'Kelly, T Brennan or D O'Brien, L Toland (capt), V Costello.