Leinster duo hungry for battle with Warriors
The arctic conditions and heavy snowfalls in Dublin yesterday continued to threaten a postponement of the fixture and a call is expected to be made by lunchtime today.
Leinster, having seen last week’s game with Connacht called off as well, desperately want the match to go ahead and a contingency plan is for the fixture to be played on Saturday afternoon.
Forwards coach Jonno Gibbes is as keen as Sexton and Jennings – due to play for the first time in one and three months respectively – to see the game go ahead as Leinster prepare for the fifth round of the Heineken Cup against Brive on Saturday week.
“It certainly wouldn’t be the ideal scenario,” said Gibbes yesterday. “At this stage we feel a game is badly needed because a number of players, including Jonathan and Shane, haven’t had much exposure of late. But we will just have to wait and see. I’m sure every effort is being made to allow the game go ahead, but it is out of our direct control.”
Leinster trained in the icy conditions yesterday and Gibbes admitted it was a new experience. “It doesn’t snow in the part of New Zealand I come from and today was my first experience of training in those conditions. It was a novelty for about 20 seconds and then it was just miserable. But our training facilities are good, the field wasn’t frozen and there was no disruption. We’re just praying the RDS ground staff work whatever miracle is necessary to let the game be played,” he said.
Sexton, who broke a bone in his hand helping Ireland defeat world champions South Africa in the last of the autumn series of internationals, is desperate to get some game time in order to stake a claim for a Heineken Cup place against Brive and the build-up to the Six Nations.
Shaun Berne is the current no 10 after starring in back-to-back victories over Llanelli, but, while Gibbes hailed the Australian’s contribution, he reckons Sexton could slot easily into the Heineken Cup team with or without game time.
Not surprisingly, he said Jennings was more urgently in need of match exposure after a 12-week lay off through suspension. The international flanker was banned for making contact with the eye area of London Irish lock Nick Kennedy in the opening round of the Heineken Cup at the RDS in October, a charge hotly disputed.
“Johnny is physically ready, that’s for sure, while Shane obviously wants to play too. Shane went to Australia and did a bit of pre-season work there, working on skills as well as getting a bit of sun. That was really healthy for him and he has got straight back into trying to play his part for the squad, distributing water and running messages, helping to organise things on the field with Kurt (McQuilkin).
“Ultimately though, he is a team man and everyone is looking forward to getting him back on the field.
“More so than Johnny, it is important because 12 weeks is a long time; he has been doing some pretty rugged game-like conditioning but it is not the real thing and if he gets a run, it will be really good for him,” he said.
HEAD COACH Michael Cheika has named a squad of 27 for the game. It does not include front-line backs Gordon D’Arcy or Shane Horgan, while CJ van der Linde is given another week to try to recover from his calf muscle injury and team captain Leo Cullen is rested. But Cheika seems certain to give Fergus McFadden one of his rare runs in the centre alongside Brian O’Driscoll. One way or another, he will select a pretty formidable back division to take on the league leaders Glasgow.
His biggest task up front will be to decide who partners Nathan Hines in the second-row from a list that includes Malcolm O’Kelly, Devin Toner and Trevor Hogan.
Meanwhile, Gibbes yesterday described the Warriors as a highly competitive and keenly motivated side. “Their position in the league reflects how well they have been playing; they are always difficult to beat and it should be no different this weekend,” he said.
LEINSTER (from): Forwards: M. Ross, S. Wright, J. Fogarty, C. Healy, B. Jackman, R. McCormack, N. Hines, T. Hogan, D. Toner, M. O’Kelly, S. Jennings, Stephen Keogh, K. McLaughlin, S. O’Brien, J. Heaslip, R. Strauss.
Backs: R. Kearney, I. Nacewa, G. Dempsey, D. Kearney, Simon Keogh, F. McFadden, B. O’Driscoll, S. Berne, J. Sexton, E. Reddan, P. O’Donohue.
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