Rock of Cashel

DENIS LEAMY has seen a lot of the French this season and on Saturday caps it off in the Heineken Cup final with another French examination against reigning domestic champions and current league leaders Biarritz.

First came the two victorious pool games against Castres, then a debilitating loss to France in the Six Nations and finally a hard-fought win over Perpignan in the Heineken Cup quarter-final at Lansdowne Road.

All were tests of the toughest nature, and although he is one of the younger members of the Munster and Ireland squads, it is fair to say Leamy passed every one with honours.

His grinding, in-your-face style, is sure to make him a target for an outfit who don’t pussyfoot around in ruck or maul, and like softening up any back-rower caught in isolation.

But Leamy has not become a rugby hard man being a shrinking violet and knows that if you’re going to mix it with the likes of Serge Betsen and Thomas Lievremont, you’d better know how to look after yourself.

His stock across Europe has grown thanks to his second full season of Heineken Cup rugby and first full year of Six Nations action.

Only an ankle injury against Perpignan, hurt again in the semi-final against Leinster, has impeded his progress.

“The ankle,” he says, “is fine and I’m firing on all cylinders again. I’ve been training well and I’m very much looking forward to Saturday. All this week has been a huge buzz already — what with all the things that are going on — but I’m just trying to soak it all in without getting carried away.”

Leamy is modest off the field, but the game face is different and his determination has been fuelled by Munster’s history in the final of this competition.

“The first one I watched in a pub in Cashel with a few friends and at the time I don’t think I realised what a massive thing it was,” he recalls. “Even then the competition was huge and while it has got bigger since, I remember it being difficult to take in, what with all the fans nearly filling Twickenham and all the emotion involved. I was really disappointed when Munster didn’t win that day.”

In 2002 he watched at home with his brothers — his folks having travelled to the game. Once again — not unnaturally for a guy whose heart was set on a playing career with Munster — he was very, very disappointed.

“I wouldn’t usually get that upset over anything, but my heart went out to the boys, who were so obviously gutted at the end. They had played really hard, put themselves about a lot, and I thought they deserved better.”

But then you only get what you deserve and Leamy knows that he and the Munster team are going to have to play very well against Biarritz if they are to deserve the Heineken Cup.

He explains: “It is hard to compartmentalise Biarritz because they are such a well-balanced side with a fantastic pack and a very big and fast set of backs. The battle up front is going to be fierce and everything — scrums, line-outs, mauls — are all going to be very hotly contested.”

He reckons the quarter-final against Perpignan will stand to Munster.

“It is good we played Perpignan in what was a really gritty game, because we’re under no illusions about how tough it’s going to be against Biarritz,” he says.

“The Perpignan game gave us a taste of the physicality French teams can bring to a game. We’d played French teams before — we had Castres in the pool stage this year alone — but Perpignan came out that day in Dublin and brought it to a higher level.

“If you were standing in an upright position or just off a ruck, you were a target. They came out to intimidate us but we got through it. We can expect a lot more of that from Biarritz, especially when they’ve a back row with the likes of Betsen, Imanol Harinordoquy and Lievremont — out there looking for targets to nail.”

Leamy has come a long way in a short time and on Saturday will be lining out with his heroes instead of watching them on TV.

But it’s not, he says, that weird a feeling to know he’ll be running out onto the Millennium Stadium pitch on Saturday, having watched the other two games on television.

“I think I got over that a few years ago when I first pulled on a Munster shirt. Back then, certainly, when you’re sitting in the dressing room next to someone like Michael Galwey, it was quite surreal. Just getting ready with all the lads was initially a bit intimidating, but I got over that sort of thing a while ago.

“The thing about the cup itself is that it is within touching distance, but we have to just think of this as an opportunity which we should not let slip. To that end we’ll all be giving it 100% — no, 150% — and we’ll be doing our very best, don’t doubt it.”

In truth, not many people doubt Denis Leamy these days.