Gleeson pledges to give Smith a run for his money

KEITH GLEESON’S rugby career took an ironic twist when he opted to leave Australia and throw his lot in with Leinster.

Gleeson, a highly rated U-21 flanker with Australia, had spent endless hours arguing with Matt Williams, stating that he should be getting more time on the pitch for New South Wales in a bid to impress the Australian selectors. Then it was Williams who persuaded him to give up his quest for an Australian cap and come to Ireland to play with Leinster. “There were times when Matt and I didn't see eye to eye. I was frustrated at not getting enough games with New South Wales and that didn’t help my desire to play for Australia.

“Having said that, Matt was really only following the national line. At that time a few years ago it was felt that big back-rowers was the way forward. “I didn’t fit into the equation because I was not in the same physical league as most of the top players with the Australian provinces. George Smith was probably the smallest back row forward to come through the system for some time but that was after I made the decision to move back to Ireland.”