EDINBURGH’S challenge to end their run of four successive defeats could hardly be tougher even with home advantage at Murrayfield tonight.
European champions Leinster are fielding close to their strongest possible starting side in the Rabo-direct PRO12 clash, including the great Brian O’Driscoll and RobKearney making their comebacks from injury, on the ground where they won their first Heineken Cup in 2009.
Indeed the Dubliners have lost only once on their last four visits to Murrayfield and, as well as their five existing Lions in O’Driscoll, Kearney, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald and Jamie Heaslip, have a few more certainties for Warren Gatland’s squad to go to Australia with Jonny Sexton, Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy starting tonight.
“While we have a lot of respect for Leinster, we don’t fear them and we are fully focused on kick-starting the New Year at home after a tough December,” said Edinburgh head coach Michael Bradley.
“We ran them close in Dublin earlier in the season and are looking forward to having another crack at them at home.”
Bradley keeps Scotland fly-half Greig Laidlaw at scrum-half for the third match in succession, making only one change in the backline from the Murrayfield loss to Glasgow with Kiwi Ben Atiga in at 12 for James King.
However, he restores a fit-again Willem Nel sorely missed in the second leg of the 1872 Cup on the tight-head and shuffles the back row with Georgian Dmitri Basilaia making his second start for the club.
Stuart McInally returns from a stipulated rest week with the start at blindside with David Denton moving to his ‘Scotland’ role at No 8, a position he rarely plays for his club.
Edinburgh vs Leinster, tonight, Rabodirect PRO12, Murrayfield, ko 7.35, live on BBC ALBA):
Greg Tonks; Dougie Fife, Matt Scott, Ben Atiga, Tim Visser; Piers Francis, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Allan Jacobsen, Andy Titterell, Willem Nel; Grant Gilchrist, Sean Cox; Stuart McInally, Dmitri Basilaia, David Denton.
Replacements: Steven Lawrie, Robin Hislop, Geoff Cross, Perry Parker, Netani Talei, Richie Rees, James King, Sep Visser.