Whitaker: Rocky is ready to rumble

LEINSTER scrum-half Chris Whitaker wants to make a winning departure from the province with this weekend’s Heineken Cup final, and he backs fellow Australian Rocky Elsom to make a significant contribution to the Irish side’s chances of beating Leicester this weekend in Edinburgh.

“Rocky is probably the most dominant player on the field I’ve ever played with,” says Whitaker. “He makes an impact in everything he does. He covers ground, he runs the ball, he makes tackles and he’s world class, if not quite world’s best.”

The Australian Rugby Union are doing everything they can to lure Elsom home in good time to prepare for the 2011 World Cup but the picture will remain unclear until after Saturday’s final. Whitaker is non-committal on the matter, noting that Elsom and All Black Dan Carter have enjoyed themselves in the Northern Hemisphere.

“They are probably two of the top five in the world,” says Whitaker. “There’s plenty of attraction up here. Down south, I think the Heineken Cup is held in the highest esteem. There is a whole heap of jealousy about the Heineken Cup. There is a lot of talk about changing the Super 14 to the Super 15 and interest is down. There are a lot of envious people down there.”

However, Whitaker dismissed any possibility of Elsom being allowed to play for both Australia and Leinster.

“I’d love to see it but it would open too many opportunities for other guys,” he reasoned. “Just like all the guys who would go overseas and get the best of both worlds. I don’t think you can allow it, really. If we win on Saturday, it will be a tough decision for Rocky but then I’m sure it’s tough at the moment.

“He has loved it here. He’s playing good football and the crowd love him so he couldn’t ask for much more.”

This will be Whitaker’s last match in the Leinster jersey and naturally he wants to go out with a bang. He describes life in Dublin as “fantastic” and he has a four-month old Irish daughter.

But when it comes to the rain... “You look up one weather report and it says one thing and the next one says another!” he grinned ruefully. It’s back to sunny Australia for Chris and the family but not before one of the biggest matches of his career.

Whitaker proved his worth against Munster when providing out-halves Felipe Contepomi and Jonathan Sexton with a flawless service. That performance certainly helped to silence some of his more vocal critics.

“I’ve been involved in some pretty good teams and this is one of them,” he said. “I played in the Super 14 final in 2005 when we lost to Crusaders in Canterbury and a couple of semi-finals as well. To win either tournament would be massive but since I don’t have the chance of a Super 14, Saturday is massive for me and massive for Leinster and not just the team but the whole branch and rugby in the area.

“Having said that, we have a huge task ahead. We’re up against the most experienced and most successful team in Europe and we definitely need to be on our game. Compare this with the Super 14 final? No, it’s totally different, although I suppose in terms of success, Crusaders would be far the most successful team in the Super 14 so in a way it’s similar.”

Whitaker pays due tribute to the Tigers, though he doesn’t yet know whether his direct opposite number will be Frenchman Jean Dupuy or England’s Lion Harry Ellis.

“Dupuy is probably more of a kicker and Ellis more of a sniper,” he mused. “He is very quick off the mark but Dupuy obviously pulled a few games out of the fire this year, especially the one against Bath. They have world-class players on the bench, guys who can come on and play different styles.”

One of the big imponderables about the final is how Jonathan Sexton settles down in the biggest game of his career to date.

“He (Sexton) loves to call the shots, he loves to dominate a game,” Whitaker maintains. “I’ve been playing with him for three years now on and off and I think we have a good understanding.”

And so, in his last game for Leinster, what does he hope for on Saturday? “It’s a big occasion for sure. I’d love to win, whether it’s my first game or my last game. It’s a final.

“Other guys are leaving as well, Felipe for one, but everyone is focused on going over and winning the game. There won’t be any issues about getting up for this game. But being up for it and executing and coming away with it is something we have to really focus on.”