Forward thinking as Jennings expects test

LEINSTER flanker Shane Jennings expects a testing afternoon from Racing Metro’s pack in Saturday’s Heineken Cup opener at the RDS.

Though Jennings admits Sebastien Chabal is the talismanic figure for the visitors he highlights their power-packed forward unit that includes France lock Lionel Nallet, Springbok Jacques Cronje and Italian prop Andrea Lo Cicero.

“Whether he (Chabal) plays in the (second) row or the back row I don’t know, but he’s a pretty charismatic guy and he is a serious leader for them. But unfortunately there’s a lot of players around that pack as well who are just as good as him so whatever pack they play they’re big, big men.

“If he plays back row then their combinations at second row are pretty impressive as well. It’s going to be a good challenge and these are the games we want and it’s good getting back to the RDS and having a fella like that and a good big team from France coming over.”

Leinster’s narrow victory at the Aviva Stadium will stand them in good stead this weekend, Jennings said, but given the daunting nature of their pool the flanker knows they need a good start.

“We played very, very well (against Munster) and it was good to see because we needed it,” he admitted.

“We need to carry that in now and get a bit of confidence from that and take the good things that we did in the game because we’re playing against a very, very good team.

” We’re going to have to do a lot of good work, get a good week’s training, get some good prep on them as a very big, very physical team that are flying in the Top 14 at the moment.”