LEINSTER will send the records off the field crashing when they welcome an invasion of Newport supporters to Donnybrook tomorrow night.
The Irish province - going great guns on the field as well with nine straight victories in all tournaments, including Heineken Cup Pool One triumphs over Toulouse and Newcastle Falcons - will be playing their third successive home game as a result of the round one match being switched to Dublin from Toulouse.
That will leave them with a three-match away run in rounds four, five and six but for the immediate future it promises to be another special occasion at Donnybrook.
"The match is all-ticket and we will have absolutely no problem getting to our capacity," said club spokesman Tom McCormack. "So far we have had between 50-100 away supporters turning up for matches but Newport have been sent 1,500 tickets and that will comfortably set a record for the support of any overseas team playing at Donnybrook.
"It will be a case of who wins the singing battle between their 'Who Let The Dogs Out?' against our 'Molly Malone' and it should be a fabulous occasion."
Leinster are on a 15-match unbeaten Donnybrook run but coach Matt Williams is wary of what his old sparring partner and Newport opposite number Ian McIntosh might have up his sleeve.
"This is the most important game Leinster will have played for a long, long time - it is an enormous match for us," said Williams.
"You have to have total respect for any team coached by Ian. When Mac was with Natal and I was the New South Wales coach we had three years in opposition in the Super 12 and at the moment it stands 1-1 with a draw. He is one of the world rugby's greatest coaches.
"That is why there is no great surprise that they have come on so well under Mac - and that they seem to get better every week.
"Newport and Leinster are both on two from two and, although we will then have three away games to play, if you look any further than the next 80 minutes you have to play you will fail. We are totally focused on the Newport match and nothing else."
Leinster, triumphant in all seven of their Celtic League fixtures as well as both Heineken Cup matches so far this season, are very much the in-form team of the tournament. But, as far as William's is concerned, while the results are right, there is even more to come.
"The great thing is that we are a long way off our best," he said. "We are defending well and have come a long way in that area but we are not doing as well as we can. We are only operating at around 50 per cent of our attacking ability.
"We are turning over too much ball, a high percentage in tackles one and two, and we have to start sorting that out before tackling Newport.
"But I keep coming back to Mac - and the complete respect I have for any team he coaches. It should be a fascinating match.
PICTURED: Shane Howarth, shown scoring his side's last try over Toulouse, will be hoping to take the Black and Ambers' unbeaten record into double figures against Leinster.
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