Schmidt: We can’t afford to be complacent

THESE are heady times for Leinster. Healthy times, too.

Already five points clear in Pool Two of the Heineken Cup, the Irish province is the master of its own destiny with two rounds to play and Joe Schmidt appears to be just a few knocks and niggles away from an injury-free squad.

Sean O’Brien, rested for last weekend’s defeat of the Ospreys, has rejoined the panel ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Saracens while none of the injuries sustained by Cian Healy (hamstring), Jamie Heaslip (ankle) and Jonathan Sexton (calf) in that win are expected to impede their chances of featuring against the English outfit.

All three Ireland internationals took a full part in a light training session at Donnybrook yesterday afternoon and the sight of long-term absentee Stan Wright jogging up and down one touchline lended further to the general air of good health surrounding the squad in recent weeks.

Leinster approach the Saracens tie on the back of four straight wins but perceptible air of disappointment lingers over the manner in which the last two of those victories have been secured.

“They know if they put in the sort of performances we did against Connacht and the Ospreys on Friday that it won’t be of a level high enough to beat Saracens.”

That Leinster’s form – if not their results – has dipped of late is hardly a surprise given the heights they had reached over successive weekends against Clermont Auvergne as well as their Christmas sacking of Ravenhill.

Schmidt is a realist with 10 years of professional coaching on his CV and knows that players simply cannot bring the same appetite to the table every week but he envisions no such concerns this week.

Leinster can seal their place in the knock-out stages and leave themselves within reach of a home quarter-final with the round six visit to Racing Metro still to come.

“There will be a step up in hunger and intensity in the team which we didn’t see on Friday night which was disappointing. Sometimes it’s not the worst thing to get the win, not having played well and be hard on yourself and up the ante for the following week.”

Leinster are helped further by the fact that so many of their players seem to be competing against each other almost as much as they are the opposition. That much is highlighted this week by the battle for the starting slot on the left wing.

Fergus McFadden has flourished in the role in recent times despite being a centre by trade but Luke Fitzgerald’s return to fitness against the Ospreys after missing seven weeks leaves Schmidt with an enviable choice to make.

“It’s a 50-50 call,” said Schmidt. “Fergus has done a fantastic job. He’s played out of position, but each time he’s played in the position he has got a little bit more knowledge about where he needs to be, what he needs to do and when he needs to do it. He’s done really well for us.”

It would probably suit Ireland’s needs that bit more to see Fitzgerald named at 15 given that Geordan Murphy may well be joining Rob Kearney on the inactive roster for the opening Six Nations tie in Rome at the very least.

Such a selection would appear unlikely, however, given Isa Nacewa’s rich vein of form at full-back this season and Schmidt doesn’t anticipate receiving any texts or phone calls from anyone in the Ireland camp ahead of Thursday’s team announcement.

“Look, I don’t think head office will try to send down any particular direction. They understand that we will do what is going to give us the best balance. At the same time, whether Luke starts or comes off the bench, either way he’s likely to be involved in the back three.

“If you’re playing wing or full-back, the other players we have used at full-back like Isa, he plays a lot at full-back and he plays a lot at wing. If you’re playing in the back three it’s very much the same group of skills you need to bring.”