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The Fixtures
Cardiff v Munster Sunday 6.15 (Live on Setanta Sports 1)
Leinster v Edinburgh Sunday 6.15 (Live on Setanta Ireland)
The Previews
Cardiff v Munster
Munster will be slightly deflated going into Sunday’s fixture against Cardiff following their Heineken Cup exit to Biarritz, but there is still some silverware up for grabs this season.
They currently occupy fourth place in the table, which would be enough for the last semi-final spot, but they are in no way sure of qualification yet. The Cardiff Blues lie only four points behind and if they can win while at the same time denying Munster a bonus point, it will be them and not Munster who progress, providing Edinburgh don’t earn a bonus point victory against Leinster at the RDS.
Even allowing for defeat last weekend, Munster don’t do complacency and will be well prepared for the task at hand on Sunday, but will be without the services of Mick O’Driscoll and Keith Earls, who have joined Doug Howlett, Ian Dowling and Paul O’Connell on the injured list. Scott Deasy, Tom Gleeson, Peter Stringer, Damien Varley, Tony Buckley, Billy Holland, Nick Williams and Niall Ronan will start in a Munster side showing seven changes from the defeat to Biarritz last weekend.
Cardiff have plenty of quality in the squad including Welsh internationals Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams, Jamie Roberts and Leigh Halfpenny and with plenty of stake, this could be the tie of the weekend.
Munster: Scott Deasy, Denis Hurley, Lifeimi Mafi, Jean de Villiers, Tom Gleeson; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Damien Varley, Tony Buckley; Donncha O’Callaghan, Billy Holland; Nick Williams, Niall Ronan, David Wallace.
Replacements: Mike Sherry, Dave Ryan, Alan Quinlan, James Coughlan, Tomas O’Leary, Paul Warwick, Danny Barnes.
JOE Prediction: Munster to hold their nerve and emerge from Wales with a narrow victory.
Leinster v Edinburgh
The Blues are already assured of their place in the last four and a lot will need to go against them this weekend to deny them a home semi final, namely bonus point victories for both Glasgow and the Ospreys and for Michael Cheika’s men to lose by seven points or more.
The fact that Leinster are in such a strong position despite having lost their last two Magners League games to Connacht and Glasgow shows the sort of form they have been in the competition this season and even though heads are likely to be down following events in Toulouse last Saturday, the Blues should have enough to prevail here and seal a home semi.
Ulster made Edinburgh look ordinary at Murrayfield last time out and given that Leinster are unbeaten at the RDS in the Magners League this season, the odds looked stacked against the Scots as they bid to keep their extremely slim play-off hopes alive.
Michael Cheika makes one change from the side that lost to Toulouse last weekend with Dominic Ryan coming in for Shane Jennings in the back row. Sean O’Brien returns to the Leinster squad for the first time since February and having announced earlier this week that he will retire at the end of the season, Girvan Dempsey will no doubt get a warm welcome from the home support should he get some game time from the bench.
Leinster: Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Isa Nacewa; Shaun Berne, Eoin Reddan; Cian Healy, John Fogarty, Stan Wright; Leo Cullen (capt), Nathan Hines; Kevin McLaughlin, Dominic Ryan, Jamie Heaslip
Replacements (from): Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, CJ van der Linde, Malcolm O’Kelly, Sean O’Brien, Stephen Keogh, Paul O’Donohoe, Fergus McFadden, Girvan Dempsey
JOE Prediction: Leinster to comfortably ease to victory and ensure a home semi final.
Catch all the action from the Magners League with JOE’s live match tracker here.
