RUGBY MAGNERS LEAGUE:NO REST for the wicked, or in this instance the semi-final winners. Far from wrapping up his players in cotton wool between now and their first Heineken Cup final in just under three weeks' time, Michael Cheika will keep Leinster ticking over for one more game at any rate when entertaining the Scarlets on Friday.
The Leinster coach has named a strong squad, recalling Devin Toner, Stephen Keogh, Simon Keogh and Rob Kearney to the 22 on duty against Munster last Saturday. Only the hors de combat Felipe Contepomi and Rocky Elsom (slight knee strain) have been excused duty, although the coach did not expect Kearney to be fully recovered from the mumps in time for the Scarlets.
Cheika gave his players 48 hours off following their superlative semi-final efforts, but recalled Leinster have lost only four games at home in his four seasons with the province, and the worst of those was the 52-23 defeat to the Scarlets at the start of last season during the World Cup.
“They have such an attacking threat when they’re on their game; you’ve got to be very aware of that. It has focused the mind pretty well because we want to make sure we put in a good performance for two reasons. The first is because we want to finish as close to Munster as we can in the league. Secondly, because we want to put a good performance in for our supporters.”
He also has the recent memories of a poor performance away to Edinburgh two seasons ago, and the poor first-half against Glasgow.
There’s also evidence to support Cheika’s rationale, not least the first few years of the top three play-offs in the English Premiership, when Wasps made a virtue of finishing second to earn home advantage in the semi-finals, and then were considered more match-hardened than the rested top seeds come the final. Leicester themselves have a semi-final, and possibly, a Premiership final to come in the next fortnight but that said Cheika would have a strong argument for resting the vast majority of the frontliners away to the Dragons on Saturday week.
Not inclined to reflect on the win over Munster, Cheika admitted: “As a lot of people have mentioned it’s about how we react to that because it’s all about taking opportunities. We have been lucky enough to get another opportunity and we’ve got to prepare very well to take it.”
As for facing Leicester, Cheika pointed out in the knock-out stages they’ll have faced the team that finished top of the Magners League and the top two in the Guinness Premiership. “So we’re going to have to earn it. We’re going to have to be very good to compete against them.”
Aside from having played in four previous finals, Cheika pointed out Leicester have experience of going for both competitions (as well as the EDF Trophy) two years ago. “They will have learned from that and that will make them more dangerous because experience is a very good teacher, and we’ve got to keep all that in mind but the first thing we’ve got to do is keep improving our game and we have another chance on Friday night to do that.”
Cheika admitted Contepomi is probably “aching privately” compared to the upbeat person he’s presenting to his team-mates, and is already part of the coaching staff. “As much as people like to categorise him as an individually brilliant player, he’s the ultimate team player and if you were to ask any of his team-mates then they would say exactly the same. From the team’s point of view, we’re probably more disappointed for him than maybe he is for himself.
“It’s sad that we’ll never play with him again, but within our camp he’ll be very, very fondly remembered, there’s no doubt about that.” And beyond.
Cheika confirmed CJ van der Linde “is finished for this season.”
What ought to have been a hammer blow has been offset by the form of Cian Healy and Stanley Wright. Of Wright’s form, the Leinster coach quipped “I really think the reason he’s trying so hard at the moment is he needs to lose about 10 kilos to fit into his wedding suit, because he’s getting married in the off-season so he says his missus has been all over him to lose weight to get in the suit. So I think he’s just running more in games to shed a few kgs.”
Elsom has started all but one of Leinster’s last 21 matches since making his debut at home to Munster last September, and, remarkably, has been substituted once (after 63 minutes away to Ulster). Sightings of the Wallaby in shorts and knee brace for the strain he received, apparently early in the game, having a pint in Killiney last Sunday prove he is not indestructible. That need not alarm supporters. Cheika is just “resting” Elsom this week.
LEINSTER(squad v Scarlets, tomorrow, RDS, kick-off 7.45): Forwards(13): Cian Healy, Ronan McCormack, John Fogarty, Bernard Jackman, Stan Wright, Leo Cullen, Trevor Hogan, Malcolm O'Kelly, Devin Toner, Stephen Keogh, Shane Jennings, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip. Backs(11): Simon Keogh, Chris Whitaker, Jonathan Sexton, Luke Fitzgerald, Gordon D'Arcy, Fergus McFadden, Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Isa Nacewa, Girvan Dempsey, Rob Kearney.
