Cheika disappointed with Jennings’ and Gleeson’s omission
Welcoming Leinster’s healthy representation in Eddie O’Sullivan’s squad, particularly the inclusion of youngsters Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Healy and Jonathon Sexton, Cheika expressed surprise at the exclusion of two of his most experienced troops, Jennings and Keith Gleeson.
He stated: “The big push for them is to go hard for selection on the 22 player squad to take on Italy. It’s really important that they do, because I know they all want to play for their country and it’s a very positive thing to see young, and not so young, guys being called in at this stage.
While also saluting the likes of Bernard Jackman, Jamie Heaslip and Leo Cullen (another trio excluded from the Irish World Cup squad), he referred back to his disappointment that Jennings and Gleeson had failed to make the cut.
“I’m disappointed for them because I feel our back row has performed very well this year, and these guys have been a big reason why that happened. Their ability to compete with each other has been something that I’ve had to deal with on a weekly basis; the way that they have managed that, and responded by coming back after non-selection to get included has been fantastic.
“I suppose Shane has been played out of position on the odd occasion and I’ll be pushing him, both of them, to keep going so that they can’t be denied selection further down the track,” he said.
Cheika tipped young prop forward inclusion Healy for the top, saying there was no reason why he should be the “water carrier” in this Irish squad.
He went on: “I would be suggesting that he goes in there with the same attitude he has shown for Leinster, telling him to go for it and to put his name forward. He has a leg in the door and there is no point in sitting back and waiting for things to happen. I don’t doubt but that he will go for it. Ok, he’s not the finished article, but he’s a player who has never shown the slightest reluctance to learn from those around him. He knows what he wants, and he has all the attributes to go with that determination.”
On Saturday’s big game against Leicester, with Leinster knowing they must win and then hope that Edinburgh can produce the biggest upset (possibly in the history) of the Heineken Cup away to three-time champions Toulouse, Cheika said: “We’ve got to believe the so called impossible is possible. They will be smarting from the defeat by Edinburgh and we will have to make them think that they’re not as good as they think they are.
“It’s a huge task; Leicester have been to the forefront of English and European rugby for a long time and they don’t lose at home very often. The thing is we (Leinster) have beaten them; it’s not impossible with the quality of players we have, so we just have to go there and give them a rattle.”
Cheika has included both Ollie Le Roux and Shane Horgan, both recovering from injury, in a squad of 27.
“We’re hoping that both of them will make it through to appear in the squad of 22 somewhere, but again we want to make sure that their recovery is 100%; you don’t go to Welford Road and take a risk that a guy might not be fully right for the challenge,” he said.
C. Healy, O. L Roux, R. McCormack, B. Blaney, B Jackman, S. Knoop, S. Wright, L. Cullen, T. Hogan, C. Jowitt, M. O’Kelly, S. Keogh, K. Gleeson, S. Jennings, J. Heaslip.
G. Easterby, C. Keane, F. Contepomi, J. Sexton, L. Fitzgerald, R. Kearney, G. D’Arcy, C. Warner, B. O’Driscoll, G. Brown, S. Horgan, G. Dempsey.
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