Halfpenny says Blues won’t lack motivation

Leigh Halfpenny wants Cardiff Blues to take a leaf out of Wales’ book when they face Heineken Cup holders Leinster today.

The Blues will arrive in Dublin without injured Wales stars Sam Warburton and Jamie Roberts, while dust is still settling on the Gavin Henson sacking saga of just four days ago. And Heineken Cup history is also stacked against Halfpenny and company in that of the tournament’s 60 previous quarter-final ties, only 14 have produced away victories.

But the Wales full-back, who returns to the Aviva Stadium nine weeks after his successful late penalty launched what became a Six Nations title and Grand Slam-winning campaign, is relishing a latest tilt at toppling Ireland’s finest.

“A lot of the Leinster players were in the Irish team at the Aviva in February, and a lot of them will feel at home there, but we have to do the same as we did with Wales,” Halfpenny said.

“We have to do the basics well, run hard and make sure we compete well at the breakdown. Every time we get a chance to take points we have to do it, and our defence will need to be huge.

“It is the biggest game of our season. If you can’t get up for a quarter-final at a packed stadium you shouldn’t be here.

“People are writing us off, saying the odds are stacked against us and we have no chance, but we have to take that as motivation and go there with the belief that we can give it everything and get a result.”

“Our defence has to be spot-on. It has to be bigger than it has been so far in this competition if we are to get a result.