O’Driscoll and Kearney not risked with Leinster’s eyes on two prizes

The British and Irish Lions duo complained of minor injury niggles in training and it is likely that either or both would have been pressed into action had this been the only game on Leinster’s horizon.

However, the Irish province will next weekend have the opportunity to become only the second club since Leicester a decade ago to win back-to-back Heineken Cup titles when they face Ulster in the 2012 Twickenham final.

O’Driscoll has a knee knock and Kearney a back injury, and so they join fellow Ireland internationalist Luke Fitzgerald who was already ruled out of tonight’s play-off match.

However, club coach Joe Schmidt, who just pipped Glasgow’s Sean Linen for the PRO12 ‘Coach of the Year’ award last weekend, has stressed to all and sundry in Ireland that he only has eyes for tonight’s match, and Leinster’s strength in depth is such that he has the luxury of leaving out such star quality and still be confident of winning.

He has, therefore, turned to arguably the best full-back in the league behind Kearney, Fijian Isa Nacewa, who starts alongside Fergus McFadden and Kearney’s brother David in the back three on the occasion of his 100th Leinster appearance.

Gordon D’Arcy partners fit-again Eoin O’Malley at centre, and Jamie Heaslip captains the side with All Black Brad Thorn starting with Devin Toner in the second row.

The loss of Kearney is also a disappointment, however, for Glasgow full-back Stuart Hogg. He was eagerly anticipating the chance to face the player he terms “the best full-back in world rugby”.

But, in an indication of the belief which is bubbling among his team-mates, even with Kearney he had been hoping that the Warriors possessed the quality to surprise Leinster in this one-off occasion.

Glasgow are still without injured pair Rory Lamont and Ryan Wilson, but are close to full strength.

Coach Sean Lineen has made five changes to the side that defeated Connacht last weekend to clinch fourth spot. Back come skipper Al Kellock and Chris Cusiter and the triumvirate of Ryan Grant, Pat MacArthur and Mike Cusack in a new front row, but with internationalists Jon Welsh, Moray Low and Dougie Hall primed for a big second half shift and Johnnie Beattie back in the fray as back row cover before he heads to French rugby.

Hogg, however, is one of the reasons why Glasgow supporters are travelling to the Irish capital with some degree of hope, the 19-year-old having scored a fine hat-trick against Munster, to secure a vital bonus point in defeat, on his last trip across the Irish Sea.

He also experienced winning at the RDS early in the season and suffering a sobering first half when a full-strength Leinster targeted him in the Heineken Cup match.

Hogg said: “They are a massively physical team and make a real nuisance of themselves at the breakdown, but we’ve worked hard on that this week, so we’re going to take it to them in the contact area and see what they’re made of.

“That first half [in November] was a bit of a nightmare. Leading up to that game we hadn’t really had a hiding, and you do learn a lot from your mistakes. I dropped a ball and they ended up scoring in the corner a couple of phases later.

“But we didn’t turn up and you saw what they do when you let them play their own game. They get good momentum and end up scoring tries. That wasn’t ideal, but the second half of the game finished 7-7 so it’s amazing what you can do when you start playing rugby against them.

“They’re going to target me with high balls but I’m used to that now, and it’s just a case of taking the first one and getting the confidence up - tell them to kick it to me more often.

“I like to get the ball in hand and express myself, and if things happen they happen, and if not it’s a case of working harder and hoping they will.

“It was great to get a hat-trick over at Munster, but for me it’s the result that matters. Yes, you can spark things up and create things and score, but it’s the results that count and if we have a good game at the weekend but don’t come away with the win then that’s not what we want. We need to come away with the win.”

Glasgow have a chance if their pack can step up to the plate and dominate Leinster in the set-piece, and Duncan Weir plays a good tactical game.

Certainly, if the confidence exuded by Hogg, the newly-named PRO12 Young Player of the Season, is displayed across the Glasgow side for the full game they will give themselves a real chance of upsetting Leinster and perhaps making them regret not involving Kearney and O’Driscoll.

Hogg added: “We know it will be really tough and I’ll need to be on top of my game, the same as every other team member, but I’ll look to take it to them.

“It’s going to be a tough game but the boys are ready to rock n’ roll.”