Gleeson focusing on the season, not caps

KEITH GLEESON could join a select band tonight by earning his 100th cap for Leinster in their Magners league tie away to the Cardiff Blues — but he will have to come off the bench to do it.

Capped 27 times for Ireland since February 2002, he has fallen out of favour with Eddie O’Sullivan in recent times but he has been a constant fixture at provincial level will and may become the eleventh player to make a ton with Leinster tonight.

“Reaching 100 caps is, to me, something to be very proud of and an achievement in itself. I want to focus on a great season ahead and onwinning some silverware with my team.”

He is 31 now and many of the men he soldiered with for the majority of his time in Dublin — Victor Costello, Reggie Corrigan and Denis Hickie — have called time on their involvement.

Gleeson’s final chapter has yet to be written but he allowed himself to glance back at his album of memories before tonight’s key game against the side that ended their League ambitions last May.

“We won the inaugural Celtic League title in my first year as a Leinster player in 2001/’02 and since then we’ve had a lot of success in Europe without taking the next step.

“I’m not usually one to dwell on the past, but I really enjoyed the season before last coming back, as I was, from a bad injury.

“We enjoyed some great success by beating both Bath and Toulouse in Europe and came close to winning the league.”

Michael Cheika strengthened his hand up front during the summer, as is evidenced by the team he has picked tonight.

Few areas are as keenly contested as the back row where Gleeson and Stephen Keogh make way for former Leicester man Shane Jennings and the inexperienced Kevin McLaughlin.

“Everyone knows that the back-row is particularly competitive and that’s something that I relish because it keeps us all on our toes,” said Gleeson.

“You never become complacent and you know that you have to keep on improving.”

Other changes from the opening day win over Edinburgh see Stephen Knoop make his first start since joining from Connacht while Fergus McFadden makes his debut in place of the injured Michael Berne at outside centre.

CARDIFF: B Blair; J Roberts, T Selley, D Hewitt, T James; N Robinson, J Spice; J Yapp, G Williams, G Powell; R Sidoli, P Tito; M Lewis, R Sowden-Taylor, X Rush.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; G Brown, F McFadden, C Warner, L Fitzgerald, J Sexton, C Whitaker; S Wright, B Jackman, S Knoop; T Hogan, Leo Cullen; K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip.

Referee: Peter Allan (SRU).