If you could have scripted a fixture to crown the season, this would most definitely have been it. And if anyone out there thinks that there is a single member of the new European champions dreading the trek to Limerick, then think again.

They could well lose this afternoon, but every single Leinster player will be licking his lips at the prospect of this Magners League Grand Final showdown at Thomond Park.

This is tribal rivalry at its very best -- a fixture where form is meaningless, where passion rules.

For Tony McGahan and Munster, it is a heaven-sent opportunity to turn over the top team in Europe and take the Magners League crown they clearly deserve, given that they finished 13 points clear in the table.

For Leinster coach Joe Schmidt, opportunity knocks to create history and complete the fairytale double in his first season in charge.

And then there is Ireland coach Declan Kidney, for whom the most perfect unofficial final trial unfolds before a full house, with a no-holds-barred encounter set to shed light on some World Cup selections.

Schmidt is right when he calls the Celtic final a much "tougher test" than the Heineken Cup decider. That is no slight on Northampton, just a statement of fact, given the ingredients.

Jealous

Munster are fresh, hungry and jealous -- as well as high on confidence, given their one-point win (24-23) in the home league fixture six weeks ago.

The fact that they didn't score a try and haven't in half a dozen attempts against their old rivals (an extraordinary statistic) may rankle, but they won't care a jot if Ronan O'Gara kicks them to victory this evening.

The Heineken Cup final was a classic, the best I have witnessed, but this evening's Celtic encounter also has all the right ingredients for a monumental encounter. It should replicate Cardiff for thrills and spills, with an intensity that is absolutely guaranteed.

The one-try game back in April was pure theatre and, irrespective of the outcome, I would settle for that again. One way or the other, we won't be disappointed -- take that as read.

So, what exactly can we expect?

A Leinster side that wants to win is coming to Limerick with the intention of ransacking a Munster side that has to win. With 19 victories from 22 games in the regular league, the best team over the course of the marathon campaign is desperate to complete the job now.

I have mixed views on the play-off formula. When it was first introduced to the All-Ireland League, I felt it was unfair that the team that had proven it was the best, by finishing top of the table, had to win it again -- to be sure, to be sure.

The play-off system is now part and parcel of the professional game. It is not so much a necessary evil as an extension to the long-term planning when the initial team goals are set.

To draw comparison with long-distance running, it's about pacing, about planning for the season and selecting teams throughout the campaign (in regular league and play-offs) accordingly.

What is beyond dispute is that the two best teams in the competition by a mile (those finishing first and second in the table) have made it through to today's finale, with Munster deserving of home advantage.

The attendance would have been doubled if the final had been switched to the Aviva Stadium, but that would have been unfair in the extreme -- unless the decision is made that the Grand Final should always be held in a predetermined venue (much like the Heineken).

We won't bother going through all the obvious unit and individual match-ups -- they are old hat at this stage. But, for some, the stakes are extremely high, given the switch in focus after today to New Zealand 2011.

Marcus Horan, Damien Varley, James Coughlan and Felix Jones all have a chance to lay down a World Cup marker.

For Leinster captain Leo Cullen, the stage is set to take on Donncha O'Callaghan and make it a case of either/or to partner Paul O'Connell in the second-row against the US Eagles in the World Cup opener.

Shane Horgan, Luke Fitzgerald and Fergus McFadden (who edges closer by the game) can all further their case for a place on the plane. So, too, Shane Jennings, whose half-time introduction at the Millennium Stadium last week certainly played a part in Leinster's remarkable turnaround.

He and Denis Leamy have so much to play for beyond the 'mere' result this afternoon. But make no mistake, the result is the be all and end all to putting the cap on this fulfilling Irish rugby season.

And please may we be spared the hype of heaping more pressure on the relatively young shoulders of Jonathan Sexton in advocating him for future captaincy.

He has enough on his plate, as O'Gara will be reminding him again, without this pressure at a still premature stage in his burgeoning career. In a sense, current Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll did him few favours with his throwaway line in the post-match interview last week about half-time speakers.

Sexton's focus is on copper-fastening his hold on the Ireland No 10 jersey and that's what he will do in ensuring a steady Leinster course by deeds not words today. It is his way and I doubt he will deviate one iota.

As to the outcome? Both teams will turn up with equal mindsets. If each delivers to form, then Leinster's greater creativity could see them home.

It should be something special. Bring it on.

- Tony Ward

Irish Independent

When Eoin O'Malley and Fergus McFadden meet the media, the line of questioning tends to follow a set pattern.

The Leinster centres live their professional lives in the shadows of one of the most famous combinations in world rugby in Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll, and it is inevitable that the rigours of trying to displace Ireland's famed double act are top of the agenda.

Both Old Belvedere backs are patient young men, content to learn from the masters of the art and bide their time for snippets of game time such as this Saturday's Magners League clash with Edinburgh at the RDS.

With the November Internationals looming and the frontliners wrapped in their cotton wool, it's a chance for provincial lesser lights to shine.

O'Malley has played the full 80 minutes three times already this season and came off the bench at Treviso and Edinburgh.

However, when the glitz and glamour of the Aviva Stadium clash with Munster and Heineken Cup rugby against Racing Metro and Saracens rolled into town, the 22-year-old stepped aside.

Part of the issue for O'Malley and McFadden is that the men they shadow are institutions, two of the all-time greats who they grew up trying to mimic on the pitches at school. They may be team-mates, but they were once heroes and the impression is that that's hard to shake.

"They're all still hanging above my bed somewhere," O'Malley jokes when asked if he was an autograph-hunter in his younger days. "I'm sure I was!

"I was just delighted to play alongside these kind of guys, it's a great thing to say. The talent they have makes it a lot easier for you. It was just a big honour.

"It was a bit of a strange one when I first trained with them. I might have been only 18 at the time and I'd spent most of my school days looking up to those guys. My main goal was just to get through the session without making too many mistakes, keep my head down and not cause any stir."

So, having spent four years behind his idols, has O'Malley considered a move to England in search of game time?

Three years younger than McFadden, he believes time is on his side despite both being overlooked in favour of Luke Fitzgerald, adding another mountain to overcome. But after McFadden's Ireland call-up at the end of last season, O'Malley is happy to stay at home and wait his turn.

"Leinster's been a very good place for me to develop," he says. "There's a very good atmosphere around the place -- especially when you're young and training opposite Brian and Gordon every day. You can't get a better apprenticeship.

Frustrations

"I suppose it does have its frustrations at times, but you're constantly learning and then when you do get your chances you have to take them.

"There'll be opportunities hopefully in the next few weeks and there's young lads like myself constantly looking for them. But you can't really say a whole lot if you don't take them.

"Fergus has had a great year or so, even two years. The two of us started off the same way. His Ireland call-up and everything else is encouraging for everyone, not just for me but for other young lads watching it, and he's holding his own in those teams.

"I've played with Ferg a good bit now; even in club and 'A' games over the last few years, it's nice to be playing with each other.

"Ferg's good to play outside -- he's a lot of voice, he's a strong runner, so hopefully as the games go on we'll start to get stronger together."

- Ruaidhri O'Connor

Irish Independent

Joe Schmidt's Leinster side went about securing the bonus point in a roundabout way, with Fergus McFadden and Ian Madigan crossing in the closing stages after early efforts from Shane Jennings and Isa Nacewa had them 14-0 ahead.

Cardiff rallied impressively in the third quarter, grabbing tries through Bradley Davies and Richie Rees, and a penalty from Dan Parks edged the Welsh region in front at 23-20.

But McFadden's try helped Leinster reassume control and it was fitting that young out-half Madigan scurried over for the clinching score.

Jonathan Sexton missed out on his first appearance of the season for Leinster when injuring himself in the warm-up, so Academy player Madigan stepped in at number 10 for only his second start for the province.

Cardiff travelled on the back of an encouraging bonus point victory over Edinburgh last weekend, and gave competitive debuts to prop Tom Davies and Kiwi flanker Michael Paterson.

The game was only four minutes' old when Isaac Boss managed to spring through a gap between Deiniol Jones and Bradley Davies, and feed the supporting Jennings for the opening try which man-of-the-match Nacewa converted.

Cardiff encountered scrum problems through the first half, so much so that newcomer Davies had to be replaced on the stroke of half-time.

They fell further behind when slick hands from Richardt Strauss and Luke Fitzgerald gave Nacewa enough space to skip by Chris Czekaj for a try he converted himself.

Parks knocked over two successive penalties to close the gap, with Casey Laulala beginning to cause problems for the Leinster defence. But the hosts tightened their grip on proceedings, moving 20-6 clear for the break courtesy of a penalty brace from Nacewa.

The same player put in a try-saving tackle on Richard Mustoe as Cardiff began the second half with intent.

Scrum half Rees had sparked a superb counter attack out of the 22, and the Blues' new-found adventure was soon rewarded. Parks punted a penalty to touch, and lock Davies muscled his way over off the next phase.

Parks added the extras and after Leinster failed to convert a couple of promising attacking situations, the Blues squared the game at 20-20 thanks to a terrific team try.

Laulala's long pass set up an overlap on the right and a couple of well-timed deliveries from Davies and Mustoe sent Xavier Rush charging into the 22. The Cardiff skipper's brilliant offload out of the tackle then put Rees in behind the posts and Parks comfortably converted.

The Scotland international tagged on a penalty for good measure and suddenly Leinster were behind. But Schmidt's men were up for the challenge and they bounced back to deservedly take the spoils.

Replacement prop Cian Healy drew two defenders on a barge through the middle to tee up McFadden for a sprint in under the posts.

Nacewa converted and in the final minute, took his personal tally to 19 points as he topped off Madigan's fine snipe from outside the 22 which took the losing bonus point away from the Blues.

Nacewa said afterwards: "We're delighted to get the win. Obviously it was a bit disappointing to let them back in during the second half, but thankfully we held on and it was an important step forward for us."

Reflecting on his first victory as Leinster coach, Schmidt commented: "We created a few chances in the second half, but every time they attacked they seemed to have numbers out wide.

"If we take our opportunities it will take the pressure off us. I'm really pleased to get the win and I felt that the guys coming off the bench gave us that little bit extra.

"It was difficult for Ian Madigan to come on and play so late into the build-up but I thought he did well and credit to him for stepping into the breach. If you had offered me a bonus point before the game, I would have scrambled over hot coals (for it)!

"The bonus point was a bit fortuitous at the end but I'm delighted to be on the blue side of a win, for the first time. I thought that we showed nous and a lot of character out there and it was overall a really good effort."

When Dominic Ryan and Isaac Boss pounced for first half tries, it looked like Leinster, whose scrum had been proving dominant, would go on to claim their first win at Firhill Stadium in over four years.

But the province's stranglehold on the match was loosened in the third quarter as gutsy Glasgow began to make in-roads.

Missing eight of their frontline players and trailing 16-6 at half-time, the Warriors closed the gap to seven points while Leinster replacement John Fogarty was in the sin-bin.

They were back on terms when Canadian international DTH van der Merwe got a try his industry deserved. The 19-year-old Weir, only minutes on the pitch, added the levelling conversion with great aplomb.

As errors and indiscipline left Leinster struggling for possession, Glasgow engineered a drop goal chance for Weir and he took it, moving the hosts 19-16 ahead.

Number 10 Isa Nacewa looked to have secured a share of the spoils for Leinster when he smacked over a terrific penalty from the left.

But with time running out, a costly penalty at a lineout saw Weir boot the Warriors clear again. Nacewa drew a last-minute drop goal attempt wide of the posts, leaving Sean Lineen's side to celebrate at the final whistle.

A couple of key elements from last season's Glasgow team were missing for this league opener, with top points scorer Dan Parks having made the move to the Cardiff Blues and the 'Killer Bs' back row broken up by Kelly Brown's switch to Saracens and injuries to John Barclay and Johnnie Beattie.

Ruaridh Jackson was joined at half-back by tournament newcomer Henry Pyrgos, and Ryan Wilson, Calum Forrester and Richie Vernon combined in a new-look back row. Argentinian full-back Bernardo Stortoni took on the captaincy role, in the absence of Alastair Kellock and Chris Cusiter.

For New Zealander Joe Schmidt's first competitive game in charge, Leinster were captained by young flanker Sean O'Brien who is back fully fit after breaking his leg in March. Full-back Luke Fitzgerald also returned from a long lay-off, his last competitive game being Ireland's Test against Australia last November.

New signings Isaac Boss, Heinke van der Merwe and Ed O'Donoghue made their senior bows for the province, while prop Simon Shawe took the step-up from All-Ireland League level.

Nacewa and Fitzgerald had early runs before Glasgow were penalised for coming in at the side of a ruck, allowing centre Fergus McFadden to kick Leinster into a third minute lead.

A Thom Evans burst got the Warriors within scoring range off the restart and Jackson punished a Leinster offside with his first points of the match.

The action was error strewn at times and when a Glasgow attacking move broke down, Leinster sensed their first opening. Centre Eoin O'Malley hacked on and was unfortunate to be penalised for a knock on before Shane Horgan edged towards the try-line.

Glasgow recovered from a shaky scrum in their 22 and a tremendous touchfinder from Jackson gave them the territory they needed.

Still, Leinster looked the more creative and when Jamie Heaslip broke from a scrum and offloaded to the supporting Boss, the visitors covered 60 metres in the space of a few seconds. Glasgow conceded a penalty which McFadden converted for 6-3.

Four minutes later, Glasgow skipper Stortoni had to be sharp to clear up as Nacewa went the aerial route, hanging the ball up for young winger Niall Morris to chase. The Warriors lost possession, and from the ensuing scrum, Dominic Ryan had a try ruled out for a forward pass from Heaslip.

A superb penalty from Jackson, from wide out on the right, showed his place-kicking ability, but the remainder of the first half largely went Leinster's way.

Glasgow's set pieces difficulties transferred to the lineout in the 26th minute, and the visitors took full advantage.

Fergus Thomson threw long at a short lineout, Heaslip read it and bounded forward into the Glasgow half before passing to the left for Ryan to gather and impressively beat the cover to the try-line.

McFadden's conversion attempt was off target, and Glasgow, with Pyrgos passing well, managed to build through the phases. A neat incision by van der Merwe, coming off his wing, forced Leinster to scramble back towards their whitewash. However, a subsequent knock on spoilt a great position for Lineen's men.

From a Glasgow scrum, Leinster manufactured their second try. The Scots were again disrupted in the set piece, O'Brien kicked the ball free and Boss chipped forward for Heaslip to chase. Glasgow's rearguard wilted under the pressure, with Evans and Federico Aramburu failing to clear the danger and the advancing Boss stretched out his arm for the touchdown.

The try went unconverted and Glasgow enjoyed a decent spell in the minutes leading up to half-time, helped by strong runs from Graeme Morrison and Richie Gray. A try went a-beginning, nevertheless, when a well-worked short lineout from hooker Thomson was called back for a crooked throw.

It was a gradual turnaround in the second half. It started with a purposeful maul from the Leinster forwards, but the third quarter was bossed by Glasgow - the hard work put in by Calum Forrester, Tom Ryder and Vernon forcing the visitors onto the back foot.

van der Merwe continued to look lively out wide, and there were cracks beginning to appear in Leinster's armoury. Replacement hooker John Fogarty was barely a minute on the pitch when he got involved in a scuffle with Stortoni and was yellow carded for punching.

Jackson missed the resulting penalty. He converted an easier opportunity, from almost in front of the posts in the 55th minute, to close the gap - a powerful surge from number 8 Vernon was the key play in the build-up.

Leinster were losing their discipline at the breakdown, and although Jackson missed a shot from the ten-metre line, the momentum was clearly with the Warriors.

As Lineen dug into his bench, the vocal home crowd really got behind Glasgow and some slick passing paved the way for Weir to send big winger van der Merwe crashing over in the right corner, past the despairing Boss.

Weir, who came on for Jackson, followed up with a fine conversion, and carries from Richie Gray and Vernon helped create the space for the Scotland Under-20 international to clip a drop goal over, suddenly making it 19-16.

Nacewa's penalty in return was a high quality score and for a short while, it seemed that the game was destined to end in a draw.

A lineout infringement offered Weir the chance to kick his side ahead again and he coolly did so, making it three years in-a-row that Glasgow have won their opening league fixture.

Summing up his feelings on the game, new Leinster supremo Schmidt said: "It was certainly a game that got away from us after half-time.

"We're really disappointed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and it was a case of us making errors which enabled them to keep the pressure on (in the second half).

"There were moments in the game when we had chances; a forward pass that was given which denied us a try.

"I was really pleased for Dom (Ryan) and I thought he played very well. I didn't know him before I arrived but he has performed well during pre-season and carried that into tonight.

"The boys are very frustrated in there and they feel as though they let themselves down. It's up to us now to take it on the chin and get ourselves in order for next week."

Fergus McFadden, a replacement against London Wasps last weekend, partners Eoin O’Malley at centre for the trip to Leicester, with a new half-back pairing of Isaac Boss and Ian McKinley.

Luke Fitzgerald continues at full-back and forms a back three with David Kearney and Niall Morris.
In the pack Nathan Hines starts in the second row alongside Devin Toner, with skipper Sean O’Brien forming a new back-row alongside Dominic Ryan and Stephen Keogh.

Ballymena tight-head prop Simon Shawe gets an opportunity at this level and starts in the front row alongside Heinke van der Merwe and Richardt Strauss.

Summer signing Ed O’Donoghue is named amongst the replacements.

LEINSTER:

15: Luke Fitzgerald
14: David Kearney
13: Eoin O’Malley
12: Fergus McFadden
11: Niall Morris
10: Ian McKinley
9: Isaac Boss

1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Simon Shawe
4: Nathan Hines
5: Devin Toner
6: Dominic Ryan
7: Sean O’Brien CAPTAIN
8: Stephen Keogh

REPLACEMENTS: Jason Harris-Wright, Jack McGrath, Stewart Maguire, Ed O’Donoghue, Paul Ryan, Paul O’Donohoe, Isa Nacewa, Michael Keating, Mariano Galarza, Eoin Sheriff, Ian Madigan, Eamonn Sheridan