Leinster discuss long-term RDS move

Officials from the Leinster Rugby branch are negotiating a deal to play European Cup matches at the RDS on a long-term basis.

The province played its home fixtures in the European Cup, plus several Celtic League games, at the Ballsbridge venue this season but will not be able to do so next season as the place will undergo a facelift. Negotiations are to play rugby there from September 2007.

Landowne Road and Donnybrook will both be used for Leinster's home games next season with the province solely using the latter when redevelopment work gets underway at IRFU headquarters.

It also emerged today that in the likely event of the province qualifying for next year's quarter-finals or semi-finals of the European Cup, the Leinster branch would explore the idea of playing matches in London during redevelopment work to Landsowne Road. At this stage it is unclear if Munster and Ulster would take the same initative to play games out of the country.

On the pitch, Brian O'Driscoll and Cameron Jowitt both return to the squad for Friday's final Celtic League game of the season against the Edinburgh Gunners at Murrayfield.

O'Driscoll missed last week's defeat to Cardiff after failing to recover from a knee injury sustained in the team's victory over Glasgow Warriors. Jowitt is training again having overcome a back problem.

"Brian (O'Driscoll) should be fine," said coach Michael Cheika today. "We've been afforded a second chance (to win the Celtic League) and all we can do is prepare ourselves to take that opportunity. To be honest we had consigned ourselves to second place."

"We're pleased that we're competitive to the last weekend of the season, which was our target. Hopefully we'll get a bit of luck in Swansea."

Leinster currently lie second in the table, two points behind provincial rivals Ulster, who also travel to Wales to take on the Ospreys. A win will be good enough for Mark McCall's charges to take the title, regardless of the Leinster outcome.

Cheika also hopes to conclude contractual negotiations with Australian World Cup winner Owen Finnegan later this week. "I believe that Owen would bring a maturity, aggression and experience for the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Niall Ronan and the next crop - like Kevin McLaughlin which is important."

Cheika, meanwhile, dismisses speculation of teams fielding weakened sides for the final round of games in the competition: "You get nothing in life unless you earn it. I don't subscribe to that (speculation). I remember from my own playing days that there's never a game where you run out on the field and don't care.

"You have situations where players are playing to impress a new coach coming in or are playing for contracts for next season. A player hunting for a contract is often more dangerous than an international," added Cheika.

Finally, Paul McNaughton replaces Brian McLoughlin as chairman of the Leinster management committee.

Leinster squad

Forwards (14): Will Green, Reggie Corrigan, Ronan McCormack, Emmett Byrne, Bernard Jackman, Brian Blaney, Malcolm O'Kelly, Adam Byrnes, Devin Toner, Niall Ronan, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip, Eric Miller, Cameron Jowitt
 
Backs (11): Guy Easterby, Brian O'Riordan, Felipe Contepomi, Girvan Dempsey, Brian O'Driscoll, Kieran Lewis, Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Gordon D'Arcy, Rob Kearney, Jonathan Hepworth
 
Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (WRU)