The most wanted man in Europe

WITH THE 2012/13 Heineken Cup to climax at the Aviva Stadium, only a few miles from where Joe Schmidt is chewing over the prospect, coping with the hype of an unprecedented third successive crown is one of many challenges facing the Leinster coach at present.

Donal Lenihan: What were your expectations when you arrived? Were you disappointed in any way with what you inherited from Michael Cheika or were you pleasantly surprised with what you found?

Joe Schmidt: “I was pleasantly surprised because you don’t know what’s beneath that top veneer and that top veneer, you cannot have it too thin. If it’s too thin you are in trouble given that a rugby player spends 17% of his time injured and therefore you don’t have to lose too many players to suddenly be under the pump.”