Leinster to revel in big occasion

HEINEKEN CUP PREVIEW Saracens v Leinster:SO, WEMBLEY can be added to the list of grounds to host the Heineken Cup, and Leinster have the honour of trodding the hallowed turf for the first time in this competition along with the "home" side Saracens.

It has become a home from home for Sarries, who are four from four at the headquarters of English football after scalping Northampton, South Africa, Worcester and Harlequins there last season.

“I feel comfortable going there and the guys feel the same,” said their coach Brendan Venter. “Last year we didn’t feel it was an advantage, we felt it was a wonderful privilege. This year it will be much more like a home game. But it doesn’t matter where our guys play, we pride ourselves on getting up for any match.”

That is true too. Saracens are one of the nouveau riche in the English club game – every member of their board is reputedly a millionaire – although their squad and their style of play is much more reflective of their coach than a list of stellar Test names playing like the Harlem Globetrotters.

Venter was as honest as the day is long as a player (and apparently is as a coach as well) and his teams are invariably strong across the board – solid scrum, lineout and kicking game, whose style is largely based upon their willingness to smash into the collisions either in defence or attack. The wondrous ball-carrying, footwork and offloading of South Africa hooker Schalk Burger provides the X factor.

Venter makes only two, rotational, changes up front to the team which battered into Clermont and forced them on the back foot for long stretches for little reward last week, thanks to a couple of missed kicks and a missed try, as well as two that were softly coughed up. Ernst Joubert returns at number eight in place of Kelly Brown, who drops to the bench, while Mouritz Botha comes into the secondrow.

The net effect of last week’s defeat, however, is that it leaves Saracens facing a do-or-die mission in a game which, because of the venue alone, would have been one of their season-defining fixtures in any event. Throw in a French referee, Christophe Berdos, and the absence of Brian O’Driscoll, and it’s no wonder that away wins are so difficult to obtain (there were only two in a dozen games last weekend).

If Leinster are off-colour in any way they will suffer and will most probably lose. And yet, there are reasons for believing they have a real opportunity to take pole position in this pool of sharks today.

That Munster fixture at the Aviva appears to have awoken them from their early-season slumber and they carried that same intensity and purpose into their play in beating Racing.

Joe Schmidt’s decision to play Luke Fitzgerald at 13, after two outings at fullback and four on the wing, could be a shrewd one. It also means a recall for Shane Horgan on the wing. Of course, outside centre is the most critical decision-making defensive position on the pitch – and O’Driscoll is the master at it – but it remains to be seen what questions Saracens will ask of him.

In any event, Fitzgerald has the footwork to beat his opponent, one-on-one, in the midfield traffic as well as the offloading and passing range to create space for others.

A tad more surprisingly given he scrummaged so well last week, and might have revelled against so many compatriots, Heinke van der Merwe makes way for Cian Healy. The latter has made impacts in all his games admittedly, and it would be unfair if this wasn’t rewarded to some degree rather than pigeon hole him as an impact replacement.

If Leinster can generate the kind of quick ruck ball they have managed for decisive spells in their last two games then they have the weapons to punish Saracens. You sense this one could be a cracker. The impression also grows that, in a mirror image of the man who has defined them most in the last decade or more, they are a big-occasion team. It’s just a pity O’Driscoll himself isn’t there as well. Then you would think they’d have an even better chance.

SARACENS: A Goode; D Strettle, A Powell, B Barritt, C Wyles; D Hougaard, R Wigglesworth; D Carstens, S Brits, C Nieto, S Borthwick (capt), M Botha, J Burger, A Saull, E Joubert. Replacements: J George, M Parr, R Skuse, H Smith, K Brown, N de Kock, K Ratuvou, N Cato.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; S Horgan, L Fitzgerald, G D'Arcy, I Nacewa; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, N Hines, D Toner, S O'Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip (capt). Replacements: J Harris-Wright, H Van Der Merwe, S Shawe, L Cullen, D Ryan, I Boss, F McFadden, E OMalley.

Referee: Christophe Berdos(France).

Previous meetings: None.

Previous results: Saracens – 10-25 v Clermont (a). Leinster – 38-22 v Racing-Metro.

Betting(Paddy Powers): 8/13 Saracens, 22/1 Draw, 5/4 Leinster. Handicap odds (Leinster + 3 pts) 10/11 Saracens, 20/1 Draw, 10/11 Leinster.

Forecast: Saracens to win, perhaps, but Leinster to extract a bonus point.