RUGBY:Having finally fully recovered from injury, the Leinster flanker is hoping to be involved against the Toulouse backrow, an area which could decide Saturday's game, writes JOHN O'SULLIVAN

SHANE JENNINGS periodically pirouettes to identify the source of the whooping and hollering that serves as a backing track to Leinster’s warm-up drill at UCD yesterday. It’s an involuntary reflex that betrays his eagerness to join his team-mates.

A recurring knee cartilage problem denied him an opportunity to play in the Heineken Cup quarter-final against his one-time team-mates, the Leicester Tigers, but since then he’s racked up the game time in Magners League matches against Ulster and Aironi and is keen to be involved in Saturday’s European semi-final against Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium.

The 29-year-old flanker, one of Leinster’s team leaders, hopes he has done enough to merit selection for the weekend having fully rehabilitated physically, a position he hadn’t quite reached in time for the Tigers’ match.

He admits: “Mentally, I was pretty close. Physically, I probably wasn’t. I was pushing myself to try and get there.

“It was kind of a very frustrating couple of weeks because I wasn’t due to be out for that long and things like that. It just wasn’t getting right so unfortunately I wasn’t right and it was the right call. Thankfully, the lads did very, very well so we’ve another opportunity to maybe get involved again.

“Fortunately now I got some time against Ulster and Aironi so it’s been great. I’m in a lot better shape and I’ve good training behind me now in preparation for this one.”

The cartilage issue has flared occasionally during the season, the initial damage occurring against Connacht.

He tore more tissue in the home game against Aironi and then in an A match but the issue is now resolved.

Jennings understands and embraces the team dynamic so there was no conflict in watching others excel in his absence.

“It was brilliant. No matter what lads go out there, we’re all gunning for the same thing. We all prepare just as well, as hard as each other and we’re all behind each other so it’s certainly not that way. It was fantastic to see.”

Leinster have moved on from last season’s semi-final defeat to Saturday’s opponents and appreciably so in style and patterns from the team that won the European Cup in 2009. Jennings points out: “It’s a completely different set-up to be honest. We’re playing differently; we’ve got a different mentality.

“I think people’s ambitions and goals are still the same. Certainly, mine are to try to win this game and get into a final. I think we’re under no illusions. We know how difficult it is going to be from the experience of playing them in either group games or in quarter-finals before.

“I think everyone is really looking forward to the game and the occasion. Because we’ve a taste of playing in the final, we’d like that again. It’s a massive motivation for us, personally and collectively. It’s a great place to be.”

The battle of the backrows will have a pivotal influence on the outcome. Jennings just wants to play, wants to measure himself against a Toulouse unit for which he has a huge regard.

“They’ve a number of combinations they can throw out. They’ve a couple of young guys who have come through now who are very, very good players.

“Then, you’ve the guys who people don’t give credit to, like (Louis) Picamoles or what’s his name, Gregory Lamboley and then obviously (Jean) Bouilhou can run their lineout. (Thierry) Dusautoir is a quality player. They’ve got so many combinations and they’re all good. It’s a really good challenge for our backrow because it’s going to be very tough whatever players they put out.”