New Leinster boss Josef Schmidt believes his side will have to raise their game in attack to regain the Magners League title.

The Leinster team to face the Glasgow Warriors in Friday night's Magners League opener at Firhill (KO: 7.05pm) has been named.

The Leinster squad to face the Glasgow Warriors in Friday night's Magners League opener at Firhill Stadium (KO: 7.05pm) has been named.

The last eight clashes between the two teams have all been won by the home side on the day, whilst Leinster's most recent victory in Glasgow was 21-18 at Firhill on 7 May 2006.

Stan Wright (Achilles), Leo Cullen (shoulder) and Kevin McLaughlin (shoulder/knee) remain long-term absentees while it is hoped that Shaun Berne (Achilles) will return to action in October.

Ospreys' flyer Tommy Bowe will be chasing a third major individual title when the Millennium Stadium hosts the inaugural Magners League Awards ceremony on Monday, 23 August.

Leinster wing Luke Fitzgerald is expected to finally return to action this weekend.

Leinster Rugby are delighted to announce details of an exciting match in the Aviva Stadium against Munster in the Magners League on Saturday, 2nd October (KO: 7.30pm).

Three of the four inaugural 2010 Magners League Play-Off teams will kick-start the new season on Friday, 3 September when they meet at Ravenhill and Firhill Stadium.

Tommy Bowe will help the Ospreys kick-off the defence of their Magners League title with a trip to familiar territory when the Welsh region open the tournament's 10th anniversary campaign against Ulster at Ravenhill on the weekend of 4 September.

There will be plenty of new faces appearing in the Magners League this season, and not just with the two new Italian clubs, Benetton Treviso and Aironi Rugby.

Leinster lost their first home Magners League match since September 2008 as the Ospreys struck for two telling first half tries to win the inaugural grand final at the RDS on Saturday.

Leinster have won their last six encounters with Ospreys since Ospreys 19-17 victory at Liberty Stadium in the Magners League on 27 April 2007, whilst the Welshmen's only previous win on Leinster turf was 16-12 at Donnybrook in March 2005.

Munster's Magners League title defence came to a disappointing end at the RDS on Saturday as Jamie Heaslip led Leinster's charge into the grand final on Saturday, May 29.

The two sides have met in three previous semi-finals: Munster winning 23-17 at Lansdowne Road in the Celtic Cup in 2004/05, Munster again winning 30-6 in the European Cup at Lansdowne Road in 2005/06, and Leinster gaining a 25-6 victory at Croke Park in last season's Heineken Cup.

Edinburgh's brave bid to squeeze into the Magners League play-offs was defied by a superb late surge from Leinster in a thrilling eight-try contest at the RDS on Sunday.

Leinster beat Edinburgh 21-19 at Murrayfield in round 4, and have never yet managed to achieve a league double over the Scotsmen in the same season.

Glasgow Warriors failed to notch a try-scoring bonus point against an understrength Leinster side, but a late brace of tries from replacement Rob Dewey saw them add a gloss to the final scoreline at 30-6.

Connacht turned the Magners League table on its head to dish out a 14-point defeat to leaders Leinster and boost their chances of qualifying for the Heineken Cup for the first time.

The last seven encounters between the two teams have all been won by the home side on the day, whilst Leinster's most recent win in Glasgow was 18-21 at Firhill Stadium in the Magners League in May 2006.