Leo Cullen expects Cardiff to have taken nothing but positives from Wales's performance against Ireland in the Principality Stadium last Saturday.

And that's not least the idea there is signs of pride returning to their rugby base following racking up disheartening test defeat after defeat through 2024 and early 2025.

Interim Wales Coach Matt Sherratt, the Cardiff Head Coach, isn't thought to be going to attend the game at the Aviva - in a hands-on capacity at least - but his club's tactics were in evidence in running Ireland close.

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"From a technical sense, while we are scouting Cardiff, there is looking at what Wales were doing as well," admits Cullen. "Definitely you can see some trends in Wales at the weekend that we would see from Cardiff.

"They like to play some nice shapes from an attacking point of view so it should be a good test for us defensively and, again, it's just for us to try and get the balance.

"We have got to basically try to impose our own game on the opposition any given week, that we play to our abilities and attend to the many threats that they have as well."

Cullen has opted to backbone the team with certifield experience not least with Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath at half-back, Jimmy O'Brien at full-back, Will Connors in the back-row and using Six Nations squaddies Paul Boyle, Rabah Slimani.

Max Deegan and Tommy O'Brien are also there despite playing all 80 minutes last Sunday against England A - and that's half a team.

The younger contingent, those such as Hugh Cooney, Diamuid Mangan, Alex Soroka and Andrew Osborne will be looking to demonstrate they have the ability to step up.

While on the bench Soroka's brother Ivan, a loosehead, has been drafted from Clontarf RFC's doughty AIL pack for this and Osborne holds off Rob Russell's first-return from injury.

Continues Cullen: "Having Ivan on the bench is great from the club's point of view, it is great for us as professional coaches to get the opportunity to pick a guy that's been with Clontarf in the AIL for so many years and performing well for that time.

"Keeping the dream alive for him and hopefully things play out properly for him between now and the game and if he gets a run out it would be a fantastic story for him."

Cardiff sit sixth in the table but it looks a precarious slot considering there are seven rounds left and they probably need to pick up 20 points to make the play-offs. They have Leinster away today and finish with Munster at home, Bulls away and Stormers away.

They haven't had anyone released from the Wales senior squad and have made four changes, all in the pack, to the team that lost narrowly in Connacht last time out.

Cardiff are without Toby Faletau, Ben Thomas, Evan Llyod and Teddy Williams who were in last Saturday's Six Nations matchday squad.

Leinster (v Cardiff, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 3pm, RTÉ2, Premier Sports 2): Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Hugh Cooney, Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath capt; Jack Boyle, John McKee, Rabah Slimani, Diarmuid Mangan, Brian Deeny, Alex Soroka, Will Connors, Max Deegan

Subs; Stephen Smyth, Ivan Soroka, Rory McGuire, RG Snyman, Scott Penny, Oliver Coffey, Liam Turner, Rob Russell

Cardiff: Cam Winnett; Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Rey Lee-Lo, Rory Jennings, Harri Millard; Callum Sheedy, Johan Mulder, Danny Southworth, Liam Belcher capt, Rhys Litterick, Josh McNally, Rory Thornton, Ben Donnell, Thomas Young, Alun Lawrence

Replacements: Efan Daniel, Rhys Barratt, Will Davies-King, Seb Davies, Alex Mann, Ellis Bevan, Tinus de Beer, Regan Grace

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