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Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup: 3 key battles Leinster must win against Wasps

The visitors are favourites to win on a big night in Adams Park.

Joe Launchbury v Kevin McLaughlin

IT WON’T HAVE escaped Dai Young’s attention that the second row has been a problem area for Leinster in recent seasons. Yet, the Wasps coach has put arguably his best lock into the back row.

Launchbury’s rise to fame has been rapid. He was just one in a string of young players thrust into the limelight of the national team, but his Trojan work-rate quickly made him an integral part of England’s (ultimately fruitless) Grand Slam bid.

Despite little experience in the club game, he thrived on the international stage. But Joe Schmidt has also put a little extra grunt and line-out expertise into the third line.

Schmidt has surprisingly kept Quinn Roux in reserve, with Leo Cullen preferred to manage to the team on the field. McLaughlin’s presence at the set-piece give Leinster a fifth option at the line-out, but his extra mobility in open play should give him the edge over the England international.

Nick Robinson v Ian Madigan

Wasps have denied us the old stager, Stephen Jones, from the start and instead selected his journeyman compatriot; Young’s trusted lieutenant from his Cardiff days.

Naturally, Madigan has taken centre stage in recent weeks. Jonathan Sexton has been laid up since the news broke that he’d take the horse to France, and his subsequent propulsion into the Ireland setup has increased the limelight around a player who was never short of one for the highlight reel.

Madigan’s goal-kicking has been flawless, uber-confident. Plus, no other Leinster player has managed to score for the province since Dave Kearney touched down on March 1. But for all the unpredictable excitement he provides with ball in hand, he has been guilty of offering both Glasgow and Ulster easy possession in recent weeks.

In Robinson, the Premiership side have tried to match up with a running fly-half of their own. But primarily, it seems, Wasps have picked a side to finish strong: Billy Vunipola will be raring to go off the bench and Young will hope Jones can exert enough influence in the final 25-30 minutes to steer the result their way. He’s done it plenty of times before.

Bench attire. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Andrea Masi v Fergus McFadden

It won’t matter that his opposite number wasn’t involved in Rome. In the close confines of a ruck, the Italian will take great pleasure in reminding any Irish ear he can get close to of the events of  St Patrick’s weekend in Rome.

Masi makes the 13 channel a very definite strength for Wasps, while Joe Schmidt has been crossing the name Brian O’Driscoll, Eoin O’Malley and Brendan Macken off his team-sheet with Isa Nacewa performing the duty in an emergency last week.

Ordinarily, Schmidt would prefer have McFadden’s tenacity in the wide channel, but the intent in his tackling may well have made him the natural choice (behind O’Driscoll) for this fixture anyway

The hosts’ danger men are the speedsters out wide. And they will be eager to get their wingers into one-on-one situations there. McFadden has the defensive nous to ensure they get little opportunity to do so.

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