Rocky plays it cool as Leinster eye Croker date

THE hype for the next three weeks will veer towards the ridiculous at times but Rocky Elsom won’t be adding to it. Ask the Australian about the all-Ireland Heineken Cup semi-final on May 2 and all he can muster is: “It should be good”.

No-one in the Leinster camp is complaining about the flanker’s consistently understated deliveries off the pitch when he is making the contest for the province’s player of the season a one-horse race.

A late starter with Leinster this season, his debut didn’t come until the September 18-0 defeat by Munster at the RDS but his importance has multiplied since, on both the defensive and offensive fronts.