Cheika upbeat despite Leinster injury crisis

MICHAEL CHEIKA is giving out a positive spin, but the suspicion remains that the gods are conspiring against Leinster as they open their Heineken Cup campaign against Bath in the RDS on Saturday.

The Australian had ample time to prepare for the European opener without captain Brian O’Driscoll and even scrum-half Guy Easterby, but he must now devise a battle plan minus Denis Hickie, Christian Warner and Eric Miller after a catalogue of bad luck.

Warner picked up his injury last week in the Celtic League defeat of Cardiff in Dublin while a bruised foot is keeping Miller sidelined longer than expected.