Leinster play it safe as big day looms

MAGNERS LEAGUE:NO CHANCES being taken this weekend in Leinster's final Magners League fixture with Dragons. Coach Michael Cheika has rested the bulk of his front line players with only Rob Kearney coming back into the side after a bout of the mumps. Kearney has been put on the left wing.

Does that tell us anything about how Cheika is thinking about next Saturday’s Heineken Cup final against Leicester or is it a soft re-introduction to competitive life for the Ireland fullback after several weeks on the side lines?

Cheika’s bold choice in putting Isa Nacewa into fullback in the quarter-final against Munster was an inspired call but with Kearney back in harness and Felipe Contepomi out injured and Shane Horgan playing well, he appears to have even more complex decisions for the final. Kearney at fullback or wing? Nacewa at fullback or out-half? Johnathan Sexton at outhalf or on the bench and if Kearney’s on the wing where does Shane Horgan fit in, assuming Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy and Luke Fitzgerald remain fit?

Today’s game is for the younger players to step up and make a claim for next season if not next week. Two debutants in centre, Kyle Tonetti and outhalf Ian McKinley make them the latest players to graduate from the Leinster Academy, with Tonetti partnering Fergus McFadden, who has already made half a dozen appearances this season. Cheika will hope that secondrow Devin Toner and flanker Seán O’Brien show, while on the bench another four Academy players will be chomping at the bit to get game time, including Kearney’s younger brother David.

Dragons coach Paul Turner has named a line-up with five changes from the side that lost to Edinburgh last week.

DRAGONS: M Thoman; G Wyatt, R Gomer Davies, P Dollman, R Fussell; J Tovey, W Evans; A Black, T Willis (capt), R Thomas, A Hall, L Charteris, D Lydiate, l Evans, C Hill. Replacements: S Jones, N Hall, H Gustafson, G Webb, A Brew, J Arlidge, A Walker.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Keogh, F McFadden, K Tonetti, R Kearney; I McKinley, C Keane; R McCormack, J Fogarty, S Knoop, T Hogan, D Toner, K McLaughlin, S O’Brien, S Keogh (capt). Replacements: B Blaney, J Hagan, C Jowitt, P Ryan, P O’Donoghue, I Madigan, D Kearney.

Referee: G Knox (SRU).

Verdict: Leinster win.