Matthews and Duffy back for Leinster clash

SOME say it is a matter of pride, others believe it is now simply about survival, whatever the hypothesis, the Connacht players should need little motivation when they take the field in this 'do or die’ Magners League clash against Leinster at the Sportsground on Sunday.Coach Michael Bradley and his management team, and in particular their strategy of only targeting certain Magners League ties, have come in for heavy criticism this week following the humiliating 58-0 defeat to Cardiff Blues at Arms Park last Friday.It is just not sustainable for Connacht to keep bouncing back from heavy defeats – like they did after the Dragons game when defeating Glasgow. There are too many good teams in the league for that to happen. Now, they must face a Leinster outfit, who, themselves, will want to quickly lay to rest memories of the defeat to Munster last weekend. For Leinster, too, will feel they have a point to prove – and no better place to do that than at the Sportsground. If there is a glimmer of hope, it will be that Connacht should be significantly stronger come Sunday – following the return of Keith Matthews and Gavin Duffy – while it would appear that Leinster coach Michael Cheika feels that this is an opportunity for him to rest some of his star players ahead of their Heineken Cup opener away to Edinburgh. That is the regard Connacht is held in this week. Indeed, Cheika has listed no less than five of the Leinster 'A’ team – namely Stephen Keogh, Gary Brown, Simon Keogh, Felix Jones and Fergus McFadden – in his 23-man squad, which, in itself, would suggest ....