Grinding their way to glory

CAN things really get any better for Irish rugby?

It hardly looks likely after the latest triumph for the game in this country saw Leinster dog it out in the style of their great rivals Munster at Murrayfield on Saturday to pull off a Heineken Cup final victory over Leicester Tigers. So we now have back-to-back Heinekens and Magners, not to mention a first Grand Slam in 61 years!

There was a time when Leinster teams just couldn’t have achieved this kind of result. They weren’t hungry enough, didn’t want it enough, but this team with a strong Australian influence proved a different proposition altogether. Coach Michael Cheika finally bred a winning mentality into his players, which became evident in their recent wins over Harlequins and Munster and was re-emphasised at Murrayfield.