BRIAN O'Driscoll, pictured, and his fellow Ireland stars Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey, Reggie Corrigan, Shane Byrne and Malcolm O'Kelly all make their first starts of the season against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade on Friday night.

That opens up the glittering prospect of O'Driscoll lining up against Percy Montgomery in a great personal duel between two of the best backs in the world, Monty favourite to make his first start of the season at centre now that Hal Luscombe is out.

If the strength of the Leinster team and the prospect of a Montgomery-O'Driscoll golden boy head-to-head doesn't pack 'em in nothing will.

O'Driscoll is now the favourite to captain the British Lions in New Zealand next year as well.

Leinster are second in the Celtic League table with three wins and a draw from their first four games without their Irish aces.

They have been missing because of a ten-week conditioning period insisted upon by the IRFU who can dictate because of their central contract system.

What the situation says about the fairness of the Celtic League is another matter when Leinster are half strength for four games and then throw the kitchen sink in against the Dragons.

But if the Irish team are second without their big names they are going to be a major force this season, and they will be a huge test for the Dragons.

Their only absentees are Gordon D'Arcy with a groin strain and broken leg victim Keith Gleeson.

The match will also mark the return to Rodney Parade of Declan Kidney, the former Munster and Ireland A coach who took over from Mike Ruddock with the Dragons after Ruddock was appointed Wales coach.

But Kidney lasted less than a month when Leinster targeted him after dismissing Gary Ella. The temptation for Kidney to remain in his native Ireland was too much and the Dragons agreed to release him.

He is well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the Dragons team and had already pinpointed areas where he felt problems lay. He will undoubtedly target those, and they are more likely to be up front than behind despite the presence of O'Driscoll.

Leinster: G Dempsey, S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, C Warner, G Brown, F Contepomi, G Easterby, R Corrigan (captain), S Byrne, R Nebbett, M O'Kelly, B Gissing, E Miller, V Costello, S Jennings. Replacements: D Hickie, B O'Meara, P Coyle, A N Other, C Potts, D Dillon, K Lewis. Kick off 7.05pm.