Ella in decisive mood

Celtic League Leinster v Edinburgh, Donnybrook 7.30: Edinburgh head coach Frank Hadden waited until just before the team departed for Dublin yesterday to decide on his starting line-up, Leinster coach Gary Ella announcing his team early in the week.

The clear message is Edinburgh are procrastinating while Ella has decisively gone for a side little changed from the one that defeated Neath Ospreys last week. As has been the case in Leinster's matches so far, little is known about the opposition.

Also shorn of their international figures as Scotland prepare for the World Cup, Edinburgh arrive all fired up having run in eight tries in their 53-7 destruction of The Borders two weeks ago. What Ella has tried to do is instil confidence in his side and have them play to the strengths of their fast, mobile running game while cutting out mistakes.

"Like us, Edinburgh are missing a lot of players," said Ella. "Obviously they have an attacking ability with the number of points they put on The Borders. But to us they are an unknown quantity."

Leo Cullen comes back into the second row as captain after a week's rest, while the bright Brian O'Riordan remains at scrumhalf. With Kieran Lewis out with a bruised knee (Derek Hegarty and Darren Molloy are also injured), Christian Warner and David Quinlan fill the centre positions.

Mathew Leek also hit form against Neath Ospreys, and his try, three conversions, two penalties and drop goal will have indicated to Edinburgh any ill-discipline at Donnybrook is likely to be punished, while the back row of Aidan McCullen, Shane Jennings and Des Dillon showed how mobile it can be.

But Edinburgh arrive with a number of big names. Craig Joiner, the Scotland winger, plays at outside centre and New Zealand-born Scotland international Brendan Laney at outhalf. In the back row Edinburgh also have former All Black captain Todd Blackadder playing blindside. With international props Allan Jacobsen and Craig Smith also named either side of hooker Andrew Kelly, Edinburgh add up to a serious package.

LEINSTER (v Edinburgh)G D'Arcy; J McWeeney, C Warner, D Quinlan, B Burke; M Leek, B O'Riordan; J Lyne, G Hickie, E Byrne, L Cullen (capt), B Gissing, A McCullen, S Jennings, D Dillon. Replacements: P Coyle, D Blaney, A Kearney, N Breslin, B O'Meara, G Brown, J Norton.

EDINBURGH: D Lee; S Webster, C Joiner, T Philip, C Sharman; B Laney, G Burns; A Jacobsen, A Kelly, C Smith, G Perret, A Kellock, T Blackadder (capt), S Cross, A Dall. Replacements: C DiCiacca, J Brannigan, N Pike, A Hogg, R Lawson, A Warnock, H Southwell.

Referee: H Watkins (Wales).