CIP AND CO PREPARE A STING; HEINEKEN CUP MORE WEEKEND REACTIONS Impressed Edwards confident his Wasps can shock the Blues.

Byline: BY MICHAEL SCULLY

THE WASPS brain trust is buzzing about Leinster's form ahead of the clash of Pool Two's big two at the RDS on Saturday.

Fresh from their opening 25-11 Heineken Cup victory over Castres last weekend, the London club must now negotiate the challenge of a Leinster outfit riding high after Saturday's bonus point win in Edinburgh.

Wasps have looked far from the real deal that they were two years ago, when they were crowned European champions.

And while their opening victory in the Heineken Cup was a major boost after an indifferent start to their domestic League campaign, coach Shaun Edwards is wary of the trip to Ballsbridge that awaits.

"Going to Dublin to face Leinster is going to be very difficult offensively," said Edwards.

"Leinster are very strong behind the scrum with an all international back line. They have also added to their forward power by signing CJ van der Linde and Rocky Elsom.

"They are the complete package at the moment."

High praise indeed from Edwards, who watched in admiration last spring as Ronan O'Gara inspired Munster to a resounding win over Wasps in

Limerick that determined the qualifiers from their group. While Wasps have lost that invincible look of 2006, they do have playmaker Danny Cipriani back on board after his injury lay-off.

Cipriani did everything in his power to secure a bonus point victory over Castres but it wasn't to be. However, Edwards believes it won't matter if Wasps continue to perform.

"As Danny said in the dressing room after the game, if we win every game we will go through and we won't need to worry about bonus points," he said.

"The last time we won the Heineken Cup we played Castres in the first game and we were hoping for a four-try victory.

"On that occasion we won a tight game, so a win is a win as far as I'm concerned. There are a lot of things we can now build on."

For Wasps' Director of Rugby Ian McGeechan, Saturday's encounter will also give him the opportunity to run the rule over Leinster's renowned back line.

McGeechan will bring the British and Irish Lions to South Africa next summer and, with Brian O'Driscoll back in form and forming a new partnership with Luke Fitzgerald in the centre, it's a chance for several players to lay down a marker.

"Leinster are playing very well," said McGeechan.

"They have got a very strong side and, as we found in the Heineken Cup last year, there is very little between teams. The challenge of this competition now is very strong."

The sides have only met once before in the Heineken Cup - with Wasps running out comfortable winners in the quarter-finals two years ago.

Head coch Raphael Ibanez said: "We realise as a team that we are heading in the right direction and that is what I want to take from this game into the next one on Saturday."

LATEST BETTING

Ladbrokes

NOT too many changes in the Heineken outright market following the weekend's games.

Ladbrokes spokesman Donal McCarthy commented: "We have eased Munster a shade to 6-1 following their poor display against new boys Montauban."

LATEST BETTING: 7-2 Toulouse; 11-2 Stade Francais; 6-1 Munster; 8-1 Wasps; 9-1 Leicester; 10-1 Leinster; 11-1 Ospreys; 12-1 Bath.

Leinster are very strong behind the scrum.. they have also added to their forward power.. they are the complete package

SHAUN EDWARDS

CAPTION(S):

ONE TO WATCH Wasps and England out-half Danny Cipriani can turn a match; WATCHING BRIEF Ian McGeechan will be able to spy on Irish