Celtic League/Glasgow v Leinster Firhill:The Leinster squad released last Tuesday included Brian O'Driscoll in a 26-man squad to play the Glasgow Warriors in Firhill tonight. This was incorrect.
However, Shane Horgan, who wasn't in the initial squad announcement, has been named as captain for the first time and will also play in O'Driscoll's outside centre berth.
No explanation was offered for the last-minute change of plan. Neither player, nor Gordon D'Arcy nor the injured Girvan Dempsey were expected back this week but with another fortnight - to accommodate the World Cup final - until the next match against Ulster and just one more game, against Connacht, before the opening round of the Heineken European Cup on November 10th, like all the Irish provinces, Leinster are understandably keen to have their frontline players back in harness.
All the right sounds came out of the camp in the wake of last Friday's 52-23 defeat to Llanelli Scarlets at the RDS, with both Michael Cheika and hooker Bernard Jackman admitting a vast improvement was required.
After an impressive bonus-point victory in Cardiff, the Leinster inconsistency reared its head when a team littered with seasoned professionals and serious young prospects were torn apart, conceding six tries, by a Scarlets team shorn of their international contingent.
Cheika has made two personnel changes in the backline, with Ross McCarron at fullback in place of the injured Gary Brown and Horgan replacing Fergus McFadden. Rob Kearney moves to the wing.
There are five changes up front, with Stan Wright preferred to Juan Gomez, while a new secondrow pairing of Cameron Jowitt and Devin Toner replace the injured Leo Cullen and Trevor Hogan, with Malcolm O'Kelly on the bench.
The dual openside experiment is shelved as Kevin McLaughlin and Stephen Keogh come in for Jamie Heaslip and Keith Gleeson.
Leinster have not experienced such a comprehensive hiding since Cheika and David Knox arrived. Tonight's response could provide some insight into how the season's pecking order will pan out when Cheika ceases the current rotational policy.
Leinster's unpredictability makes one hesitant to call it but anything short of victory will crank up the early warning system, especially considering Leicester and Toulouse are on the horizon.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: B Stortoni; M Evans, G Morrison, D Gibson, T Evans; C Gregor, S Pinder; E Kalman, E Milligan, M Low; A Newman, A Kellock (capt); S Swindall, J Barclay, J Beattie. Replacements: F Thomson, M Collins, D Turner, J Eddie, C O'Young, S Barrow, H O'Hare.
LEINSTER: R McCarron; L Fitzgerald, S Horgan (capt), C Warner, R Kearney; J Sexton, C Willis; S Wright, B Jackman, S Knoop; C Jowitt, D Toner; S Keogh, S Jennings, K McLaughlin. Replacements: B Blaney, C Healy, M O'Kelly, K Gleeson, C Keane, F McFadden, F Carr.
Referee: H Watkins (WRU).
Verdict: Leinster.
