IN ASSOCIATION WITH
MATCH
OF THE
MONTH
LEINSTER v WASPS
HEINEKEN CUP,
SAT 18 OCTOBER,
5.30pm, RDS (LIVE ON
SKY, DELAYED ON RTE)
I
R
I
S
BY THEIR own high H
standards, both Leinster

and London Wasps
R
underachieved in last
U
season’s Heineken Cup,
G
but excelled closer to
B
home by winning their
Y
respective league titles.

F
This season they have
O
Edinburgh and Castres
C
in their group and the
U
English and Irish sides
S
will both have ambitions
of topping the pool.
Wasps now have a
reputation for peaking
in the latter part of the
season, so the Magners
League champions will
have to make the most of
this October clash and
aim for a fi ve-point win.
Leinster won all three
home matches in Europe
last year and to continue
that trend will need their
forwards to be at their
openside and No 8, and is also happy to play blindside – well for Ulster. If we can do well as a side, more of us should be best against a strong
especially under the new laws – so should have a chance of going south to play for Ireland.” Wasps pack to allow their
making Declan Kidney’s fi rst team sheets come November. Ferris met new Ireland coach Kidney at a pre-season fi tness back-line to function. New
Ferris isn’t getting carried away, however, and says: “There session and says: “Declan talked to us about his plans and he boys CJ van der Linde
is major competition in the back row, always. Neil Best and was very good. There are lots of new faces in the coaching and Rocky Elsom should
Roger Wilson are at Northampton now, but if they do well set-up there as well. Declan has his ideas about where he be settled in time for this
they can put their names on the team sheet. wants Ireland to go and everyone is going to buy into it.” game and their infl uence
“David Pollock is an exceptional No 7 here at Ulster, in The Kidney era starts with Tests against Canada, New will be required up front.
the mould of Kieran Dawson, and Niall Ronan at Munster Zealand and Argentina in November. If Ulster and Ferris are Prediction: Leinster win
is doing well, too. I just want to get ahead of some of those in form, the ex-Portadown and Dungannon player should by four points n
G
Munster boys for a change! But I’m not going to worry add to the fi ve caps he currently holds. A bright start in the
E
T
Tickets +353 1 223 5103
T
Y
I
about Ireland for the moment, I’ll just worry about playing Heineken Cup this month will certainly strengthen his case. n
M
or www.leinsterrugby.ie
A
G
E
S

HE ENJOYS PLAYING VIRTUA TENNIS ON HIS XBOX AND WATCHING THE FRIDAY NIGHT PROJECT + HE’S JUST READ ROY KEANE’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
RUGBY WORLD NOVEMBER 2008 135
IRISH_Change.indd 135 18/9/08 17:52:27
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