Leinster pack have shot at redemption

European Cup: It wasn't entirely predictable but it was understandable that the 22 on duty for Leinster last weekend in a 27-23 Heineken European Cup victory over Bath have been retained for the final pool match against Benetton Treviso at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Leinster coach Declan Kidney is not prone to knee-jerk reaction so swingeing cuts weren't likely despite a less than convincing performance, especially in the pack. That's not to say Kidney didn't toy with the idea of making a few changes: he did.

The fact Ben Gissing is still not 100 per cent rehabilitated following a virus, that Des Dillon will be out until March with a knee injury and that Leo Cullen has shaken off the virus that virtually reduced him to a passenger at the Recreation Ground, militated against change. There is also the premise the coach is happy with the form of Aidan McCullen and Ciarán Potts, both of whom are named among the replacements.

There is one further codicil. Kidney has given the Leinster eight a shot at redemption, a chance to respond to their detractors where it matters, on the pitch. They were slaughtered in print, cited as a millstone that would ultimately prove too much of an encumbrance for their vaunted back line.

While the virtues of the Bath pack's performance were extolled, their Leinster counterparts had to swallow the concession of 10 of their own lineouts. It was in this area the criticism was most vehement. Kidney disagreed. "The quality of the opposition lineout has to be taken into account. About 40-50 per cent of the ball that we lost was down to things that they did. We have taken a bit of a bashing but in the last two games we have played against two very good defensive lineouts.

"There were aspects that came down to our own control (or lack of it) but there is no doubt that we can get on top of it."

Italian champions Benetton Treviso provide the opposition and mathematically still have a chance of making the knockout stages.

They provided Leinster with a tough match in Treviso but Kidney is resigned to the fact there would be no mitigation in a Leinster defeat on Saturday.

"If you look at Treviso's results. They got 10 points from their two games against Bourgoin. We got nine. It's fashionable to write off Italian teams. They have an excellent place kicker and in full back Brendan Williams a very good broken field runner.

"The pack is very physical and in Alessandro Troncon they have a world-class scrumhalf. The players will tell you that playing an Italian team is one of the most physical games in a season. We didn't underestimate them the first time and we won't be doing it this weekend. The consequences would be enormous. We would throw away all the work of the previous five rounds. We want to get a home quarter-final."

In trawling through the remnants of the Bath game the Leinster coach was asked whether he felt his team deserved to be 10 points down entering the final throes of the match.

He admitted: "It probably could have been even more. Olly Barkley missed a couple of kicks but then that was probably evened up by the try chance we missed out on so the 10 points was a fair reflection. We are under no illusions about our ability or how much work still has to be done. How much we will improve over the next few weeks or this year no one knows."

The immediate focus is this weekend. Kidney spoke of the tremendous support Leinster received last weekend as over 1,000 made the journey to Bath. He acknowledged the responsibility of the team in generating the party atmosphere by deed on the pitch.

Denis Hickie reinforced his coach's assertion the only thing that matters this weekend is winning the match and thereby securing a home quarter-final. "It's very important. In this tournament things change quickly, you can be happy one week and unhappy the next."

Meanwhile, Connacht coach Michael Bradley has delayed naming his team for Saturday's European Challenge Cup quarter-final second-leg tie against Grenoble at the Sportsground until tomorrow following the captain's run. There are still injury concerns surrounding loosehead prop Ray Hogan, captain and second row Andrew Farley, flanker Matt Lacey, outhalf-cum-centre Paul Warwick and fullback Matt Mostyn.

David Slemen and Paul Neville, who both played club matches last weekend, rejoin the squad. Lacey and Mostyn missed the first-leg victory in which Connacht prevailed 26-21, an advantage they take into Saturday's match.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, D Hickie; D Holwell, G Easterby; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, E Byrne; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; E Miller, V Costello, S Jennings. Replacements: R Nebbett, D Blaney, C Potts, A McCullen, B O'Meara, F Contepomi, K Lewis.

CONNACHT (from): R Hogan, P Bracken, A Clarke, S Knoop, B Jackman, J Fogarty, A Farley (capt), P Myburgh, C Short, M Swift, M Lacey, J Muldoon, J O'Sullivan, P Neville, B O'Connor, T Tierney, C Keane, M Walls, E Elwood, P Warwick, D Slemen, T Robinson, C McPhillips, D Yapp, N O'Brien, J Downey, M Mostyn.