Something to prove

THE Australian arrived at Leinster in the summer of 2005 armed with his three-year plan and intent on annexing world club rugby’s greatest prize.

During a progressive first season the former Randwick No 8 masterminded a stunning 2006 Heineken Cup quarter-final victory over Toulouse in la Ville Rose before falling to a driven Munster in the semi-final.

Everyone thought Leinster were going places until an end-of-season collapse in Cheika’s second season in charge. Nobody had seen it coming, especially after the Leinster players returned from Ireland duty on a high. But a heavy defeat to Wasps in Adams Park (April 2007) was followed by a poor run in the Magners League. Cheika, apparently, was furious but absorbed the criticism, especially after a hammering to Cardiff in the last game of the ML season — his nadir as a coach.

Cheika has since set about rebuilding the squad, adding more grunt up front and blooding youth. Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings returned from Leicester in 2007, but this summer saw the province really splash the cash, enrolling the services of international stars, Rocky Elsom, (right) and CJ Van de Linde, while bringing versatile Auckland three-quarter Isa Nacewa to the RDS.

Unfortunately for Cheika, Leinster and rugby purists, Nacewa misses rounds one and two of the Heineken Cup because of a broken arm. This is bad news as Leinster begin their campaign away to bogey side Edinburgh.

However, a lot of money has been waged on Leinster to lift the Heineken Cup in Murrayfield next May, though Munster did expose frailties in the side in the ML at the end of last month. However, equipped with a strong squad and impressive coaching support staff in Alan Gaffney, Kurt McQuilkin and Jonno Gibbes, Cheika knows this is the season that either makes or breaks him as a top-flight coach.

Ewen McKenzie (Stade Francais)THE TASK: In Pool 2 with Scarlets, Ulster and London Harlequins.NEEDS TO: Reach Final or win it.

EWEN McKenzie knew what he was getting into when touching down in the French capital this summer. This is a big club armed with a serious budget and run by larger-than-life millionaire, Max Guazzini. Second place is no good. The former Waratah’s head coach knows the pressure is on to land trophies on two fronts.

Already their Top 14 campaign has got off to flyer, but Heineken Cup glory is what Guazzini craves most. By all accounts, he’s not a patient man and will demand at least a home quarter-final before going forward to land the one trophy that has eluded one of European rugby’s modern aristocrats.

If there’s one thing you’re guaranteed from Stade it’s a delightful brand of rugby and coupled with McKenzie’s knowledge of the ELVs, expect them to throw the ball around and dazzle in those outrageous pink shirts.

McKenzie has the squad to compete, but will he have them firing in Europe? He’s pinning a lot of his hopes on Juan Martin Hernandez, one of the top three No 10s in world rugby, and the Argentinean Maradona is someone McKenzie expects to outshine Dan Carter in December.

Hernandez faces competition from French fly half, Lionel Beauxis, and Australian code-switcher, Mark Gasnier, but McKenzie’s number one pick for flyhalf is Hernandez.

Up front they won’t lack power: Sergio Parisse has been one of the most consistent No 8’s in Europe over the last five years, while the addition of Juan Martin Leguizamon from London Irish adds even greater strength to Stade’s back row.

This could be the season Stade finally deliver the Heineken trophy and, in McKenzie, Stade possess a coach capable of getting the best out a team.

Although the experienced Pieter de Villiers and Chistophe Dominici (both retired) will be missed, they possess the squad to help McKenzie and Stade deliver an elusive European Cup.

Sean Holley and Jonathan Humphreys (joint coaches, Ospreys)THE TASK: In Pool 3 with Leicester Tigers, Perpignan and Benetton TrevisoNEED TO: Reach at least a semi-final.

DIFFICULT to know who is in charge at the Liberty Stadium, or who’ll be calling the shots when the season turns into 2009. Word is a new director of rugby/head coach with be appointed in the New Year but, at the moment, Sean Holley and Jonathon Humphreys have been designated hands-on coaching duties while New Zealander Andrew Hore, the region’s Elite Performance director, observes from the background.

By all accounts, the players are very happy working under the young coaching team of Holley (37) and former Wales hooker Humphreys (39), while former Ireland fitness coach, Mike McGurn, (left) is reportedly a very popular figure at the Liberty Stadium.

Ospreys appear to be at least finding the kind of consistency that bodes well for a genuine cut off the Heineken Cup. Last season’s nightmare quarter-final exit to Saracens still haunts them and it was, arguably, the result that ultimately cost Lyn Jones his job as first head coach.

Ospreys may only be five years old but Holley and Humphreys have a talented group at their disposal, which includes half the Wales national squad, so there shouldn’t be too much trouble getting them to gel on match day. But what of the big match-days? Heineken Cup time?

Can the Holley/Humphreys card instil a winning mentality into a region that is arguably still underachieving?

Justin Marshall’s parting shot when he left the Liberty Stadium for Montpellier this summer was that the Ospreys lacked mental strength and a “ruthlessness”, qualities that have seen teams like Munster succeed in Europe.

First up for Ospreys are Leicester Tigers in Welford Road, a difficult proposition but, on paper, the region look to have a better squad than Heyneke Meyer’s group. But do Ospreys have the mental strength to win in bear-pits like Welford Road?

Should be interesting.