Lions hope to cross Borders

Leinster v The Borders Donnybrook, 7.30Although hindered by an abnormal injury list and international call-ups, Leinster are still expected to make a push for mid-table respectability, starting with a victory over the Borders this evening.

Ben Gissing starts his 28th consecutive game, having played in every competitive fixture and friendly for the province so far this season. Promising St Mary's lock Ciarán Potts joins him in the engine room.

Leinster welcome back Aidan McCullen, who has recovered from the haymaker dished out by Cardiff's Rob Appleyard three weeks ago. Also, Peter Coyle will bring some solidity to the front row, with Seán Brophy losing out.

Felipe Contepomi returns after his sortie home to Argentina with President McAleese and will be keen to bring the pace of Brendan Burke, James Norton and Gary Brown into the action early on.

The Borders, who are 10 points adrift of Leinster at the bottom of the pile, have the worst points differential (-222) in the competition by a long way.

Yet they have one of the stars of last year's World Cup in Samoan Semo Sititi and a wise old head in Gary Armstrong at scrumhalf. If these two play-makers can be stopped, the Borders have few other means of launching a meaningful assault.

LEINSTER LIONS: J Norton; J McWeeney, G Brown, C Warner, B Burke; F Contepomi, B O'Meara; J Lyne, D Blaney, P Coyle, C Potts, B Gissing, A McCullen, N Ronan, D Dillon (capt). Replacements: S Brophy, B Blaney, A Kearney, S Crawford, B O'Riordan, M Leek, J Downey.

THE BORDERS: G Morton; C Murray, J Stuart, K Utterson (capt), C Moir; C Laidlaw, G Armstrong; C Dunlea, S Scott, G Cross, D Weir, C Stewart, A Rennick, S MacLeod, S Sititi. Replacements: K Todd, P Thomson, A Davidson, J Dalziel, I Fairley, S Cranston, T Walker.

Referee: N Ballard (Wales)