Leinster ready to have a rip

This one has the look. Leinster on a roll, a carnival Donnybrook crowd, gladiatorial entrances through a new tunnel to the backdrop, perhaps, of Simply the Best. And in the case of Stade Francais this applies, for they are truly the creme de la creme of French club rugby.

This is presumably what the bedeviled organisers of the European Cup had in mind, for if there are better occasions than this in the Irish rugby calendar this season, they'll generally be found on international match weekends.

Psychologically, it ought to be made for Leinster. They can afford to give it a lash in time-honoured, underdog Irish fashion against the competition favourites. Backed by the benevolence of radio entrepreneur Max Gauzzini, estimated to be one of France's 20 wealthiest people, Stade are the nouveau riche of French rugby who came from nowhere to win their first national championship in 90 years last season.

Their 39-3 win over reigning champions Toulouse in last year's national championship semi-finals was one of the seminal encounters of the decade in French rugby, and was augmented by a 37-7 defeat of Perpignan in the final.

When commenting on Brive's early-season programme, new signing Gregor Townsend placed Stade in a different stratosphere. On paper, the visitors look frighteningly well-equipped.

This evening's team shows six changes from that which accounted for Begles/Bordeaux a week ago, but that is as much a commentary on the strength of their squad.

There are nine internationals from four different nations, and a further three internationals on the bench. There's the ex-Begles mean machine in the front-row, the abrasive ex-Cambridge blue Richard Pool Jones in an all-international back-row (even though the Grand Slam back-rower Xavier Blond is on the bench), and the short-fused and aggressive centre Richard Dourthe. In a pressure-cooker atmosphere, it could get feisty. And there are several quivers full of arrows to hurt Leinster with. That brilliant Diego Dominquez, the Ferrari of outhalves, has been a thorn in three Irish international sides. Out wide, Stade have recalled the Fijian winger Emori Bolobolo, while the strong-running Thomas Lombarde scored two tries and was frequently used off his wing by playmaking scrum-half Ludovic Lousteau against Begles last week.

And there's the devastating Sebastien Viars, recruited from Brive, for whom he scored nine tries in this competition - placing him fourth highest overall.

It could be quite a searching examination for Denis Hickie and an important test on his road to rehabilitation. The same is true for full back Kevin Nowlan, though with Stade expected to keep the ball in the hand, he shouldn't be test so much in the air.

Stade have a big pack, though apparently they aren't inclined to drive off the line-outs too much, and rely to a good extent on the off-the-cuff stuff.

Still, there's reasons for believing the 11-point handicap with Leinster is a very good bet. Leinster retain only four of the side which last beat a French outfit, Pau, two years ago, and have come a long way in that time. Last season they had the beating of Toulouse but didn't realise it until they were in the dressing-room.

A week later, Leicester felt the brunt of that, but Leinster look to have more self-belief about them now. To win while playing badly in Llanelli was far better than playing well but losing. Leinster have won five on the spin and yet are now possibly due a good performance, all the more so as this is their first home game in a month.

With a bumper crowd, they'll surely be up for it and they seem surprisingly cock-a-hoop. Individually, the stakes are high for many of them, primarily the 10 called into this week's Irish squad - a timely fillip.

The Leinster pack are developing into a muscular unit, above the provincial norm; the scrum has been very good, as have the line-outs, and, despite the absence of an out-and-out open side, Leinster look well-equipped to meet the flow of fringe target runners which Stade are likely to launch.

It's true Leinster don't have true playmakers at numbers 10 and 12, though Martin Ridge's defence will be a case of need's must and Brian Carey is on the bench, while Alan McGowan has been something of a prolific totem for Leinster. His 175 points in 13 outings makes him the competition's fifth highest scorer. Given David Davies' performance in Cork last week, and the mix that's in it, chances are bound to come his and Dominguez's way.

Though Stade are unbeaten this season, one gets the impression of a class outfit not yet at full throttle. Like all the provinces, Leinster are a year away from reaping the full benefits of professionalism and the team is still developing. Scalping Stade might seem ahead of schedule, but you sense it could be a special night.