Michael Cheika targets one final win over Munster

EMOTION will be flooding the Royal Dublin Showground tonight as Leinster's successful coach Michael Cheika bids to delay his departure to Stade Francais by another fortnight by leading them to a fourth straight win over great rivals Munster.

It is nearly 25 years since the south-eastern province has won four consecutive games with Munster in all competitions, and having beaten Edinburgh to clinch top spot in the league Leinster hold home advantage tonight. Both teams have also returned to something more like full-strength after resting players and getting some back from injury.

Jonathon Sexton is one back from injury and he partners scrum-half Eoin Reddan in a back division that features six Irish internationalists and Fijian cap Isa Nacewa back on the wing. Shane Jennings is also back from an ankle injury to captain the side.

Munster have Doug Howlett, Keith Earls, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes and Mick O'Driscoll all back in their squad with a burning desire to silence the critics suggesting their side is over the hill.

With an expected crowd of over 18,000, the atmosphere at this semi-final is expected to be red-hot. Cheika insisted that the memories of these scraps with southern rivals will not fade when he does head off to France.

"It has been an enlightening experience (coaching against Munster]," he said. "It's everything that's good about the game when these big derby matches come, even the losses which evoke the same emotions because you want to win the games so much.

"We all love to talk about having great victories or winning tournaments, but when Saturday comes along, you just want to have a good go, and no team gives you a better game than them."

Leinster: R Kearney; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, I Nacewa; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, J Fogarty, S Wright, N Hines, M O'Kelly, K McLaughlin, S Jennings (capt), J Heaslip. Subs (from): R Strauss, M Ross, CJ van der Linde, T Hogan, R Ruddock, S Keogh, P O'Donohoe, S Berne, F McFadden, G Dempsey.

Munster: P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, J de Villiers, L Mafi; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, D Varley, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, A Quinlan, N Ronan, N Williams. Subs: J Flannery, D Ryan, J Coughlan, D Wallace, P Stringer, D Hurley, S Deasy.

Referee: N Owens (Wales).