Leinster to unleash three of their Lions

It'll be interesting to note how Irish rugby's dream centre partnership of Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy fare, now the latter…

It'll be interesting to note how Irish rugby's dream centre partnership of Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy fare, now the latter is hopefully restored to full health. They are two of Leinster's six Lions representatives, three of whom are included in the starting line-up.

There's nothing really at stake for Leinster as they have qualified for a home quarter-final in the Celtic Cup but a win would be a timely fillip in troubled times as the province aim to find a successor to coach Declan Kidney.

Glasgow are brimful of confidence after hammering Llanelli 57-30 last time out. Gordon Bulloch, Scotland's captain and Glasgow's only representative in the Lions squad for the New Zealand tour, returns to the starting line-up.

Kenny Logan will bow out from Celtic League rugby if he comes off the bench. The 70-cap wing, who started his major rugby career with Glasgow before moving to London Wasps, is to retire from the game at the end of the season after a year back in Scotland.

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Glasgow coach Hugh Campbell is wary of the threat Leinster pose.

"Obviously, a squad producing six Lions will be formidable," he commented. "O'Driscoll and D'Arcy are the best centre pairing in Europe."

But Campbell is confident in his own team's ability: "We haven't lost a home game since October and that was against Munster, only going down to a last-minute drop goal."

GLASGOW: C Howarth; R Lamont, A Craig, A Henderson, S Lamont; D Parks, S Pinder; K Tkachuk, G Bulloch, E Murray, J Beardshaw, D Turner, S Swindall, J Petrie (capt), P Dearlove. Replacements: S Lawson, B Prescott, A Hall, J Beattie, G Beveridge, K Logan, S Barrow.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; G Brown, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, K Lewis; D Holwell, G Easterby; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, R Nebbett, B Gissing, L Cullen, D Dillon, K Gleeson, V Costello. Replacements: E Byrne, D Blaney, S Crawford, S Jennings, B O'Meara, F Contepomi, D Quinlan.

Referee: Phil Fear (Wales).

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an Irish Times sports writer