With Leinster coming off a 27-3 loss to the Ospreys last weekend, they'll be pulling no punches when it comes to Friday's clash against the Dragons. The Men of Gwent will be playing in Dublin, in front of a loyal Irish crowd.
"You could see the quality of Leinster come through in the second half," said Head Coach, Darren Edwards, "and we're expecting a backlash because we didn't play particularly well first half. We've had only one training day between Munster and Leinster. It certainly sets the tone in what it's like in a League campaign, the mental toughness that's needed as well as the physical."
Like Leinster, the Dragons lost their opening game of the season - losing 20-12 to League champions Munster. There were lessons to be learnt by the Men of Gwent.
"It was really tough looking back on the game," said Edwards, "We didn't play for fifty minutes and when we started to play it looked like we could actually get into the game. It was a tough learning curve for our players.
"I think you have to put it into perspective. The age of my team at the moment is very young and going on the road is a big occasion for us. I thought Mike Poole did particularly well. It being his first game professionally, we weren't expecting him to be the polished article but in terms of being a competitor it was a good performance."
With five players out in New Zealand for the World Cup, the Dragons have had to rely on a young squad of players - four of them making their professional debut last week and another two potentially doing the same. However, Edwards remains positive - the enthusiasm of his players is catching.
"We've got young players gelling together, we've got full license to go out there this weekend and demonstrate our style of play. It is a good time to play in Ireland and that's why we were so disappointed with the Munster game. But we've got to realise how far we've come as the Dragons and it's part of a long road. While we lost by eight points, it would have been thirty points last year. Going to Leinster we'll be looking to get a point, whether it's a bonus point or a win. I believe we can win and that's what we'll be going for."
