Jennings has eyes on Heineken Cup spot
They’ve named just three survivors from the starting 15 that hammered Cardiff in last weekend’s Heineken Cup quarter-final but it’s still a formidable looking selection featuring nine full internationals. With a 10-point cushion at the top of the Pro12 table, Leinster could afford to come into this match relaxed, but don’t expect them to. Because for men like flanker Shane Jennings, this match is another opportunity to prove why he should be picked for the Heineken Cup semi-final against Clermont.
“I was happy with the Munster game and I’ve been happy with my form this season,” he said. “But there’s a lot of competition in the squad and it’s up to me to keep consistency in my performance and if I do at least I’m sticking my hand up and putting pressure on him.
“He [Joe Schmidt] has to make the decision and I don’t want to make it easy for him by not playing well. It’s up to me to try and continue to play well as I certainly want to be in these games.”
Edinburgh have also fought their way through to the Heineken Cup semi-finals but it would be a mistake to assume that achievement means they’re capable of pushing Leinster all the way this evening. Their Heineken Cup form has been outstanding but they’ve been absolutely awful in the Pro 12.
“I don’t know why because every time we play them in the league we always have very tough games against them over there and have been lucky to come away with a win,” said Jennings.
“It was the same story this season. It was a high-scoring game. We were sloppy at times and they had good counter-attacks and finished well. We’re expecting no different this weekend. They have a very good back-row, good ball carriers, so it’s going to be a tough game for us.”
The reason Edinburgh managed to produce a shock victory in last Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulouse was because, like Leinster against Cardiff, they mastered the breakdown. After Munster lost to Ulster on Sunday, Paul O’Connell said the breakdown is now just as important in shaping a match as the set-piece is, and Jennings agrees.
“I’ll always think that because I’m a back-row and I don’t care much for scrums or lineouts, but it definitely is,” he said.
“Obviously you have to win set-piece ball but against a team like Edinburgh they can get to 12, 13, 14, 15 phases and they are very good at it.
“Rennie is a quality player, Denton is a quality player, if they play Talei he’s a quality player too, so it’ll be a competition for us at the breakdown.
“It’s massively important, the team that is sharpest there and is disciplined enough not to give away penalties usually comes out on top and that will be the case against Edinburgh.”
Leinster: I Nacewa; D Kearney, F McFadden, G D’Arcy, F Carr; I Madigan, I Boss; H van der Merwe, S Cronin, N White; D Browne, D Toner; R Ruddock, S Jennings, J Heaslip.
Replacements: R Strauss, J McGrath, M Moore, K McLaughlin, L Auva’a, E Reddan, N Reid, B Macken.
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