LEINSTER OPENSIDE FLANKER Shane Jennings today brushed off the suggestion that his side would be motivated by a rare stint as an underdog in this Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulon.
The reigning European champions boast a wealth of internationals from both hemispheres and currently share top spot in the Top 14 with Clermont and Montpellier.
However, the experienced number seven insists that, although the game will be a massive test of everybody involved with the eastern province, the approach will remain the same to every other week.
“It’s strange,” said Jennings after being asked if the squad had been riled up by the universal praise for Toulon, ”you’d think you would think about it more often, but we don’t really because we were playing Munster last week and that was the biggest game.
“We’ll build up this week, but you’ve got to manage that emotion a bit better if you think that way. You can’t let that get into your head and talk about ‘we’re underdogs, nobody gives us a chance’ all that. You just concentrate on the process that’s involved and that process has started today.
‘A bit of a battle’
“It will start with individuals doing their homework in the evenings and making sure they come ready for training then doing their prep and analysis on Toulon. Whatever pack they put out – whatever backline – that we’re ready. Then come Thursday and Friday you can nearly switch off your brain and just get ready for a bit of a battle.”
More than a bit, actually. Jennings agreed that Sunday’s quarter-final should rank among Leinster’s toughest tests in the Heineken Cup era.
“Playing Clermont and Toulouse down there is pretty similar, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone down to a place like it when they’ve been the holders of the competition and have such a proud home record and doing so well in their league.
“It’s somewhere I’ve never been before. I don’t think many of the lads have been down there before, so there are a lot of new challenges around it, but it’s the same principle; you’re going into a pretty hostile environment with a very physical French pack with a dangerous backline. It’s a massive challenge and, yeah, a real test for us.”
He added: ”It’s a massive test for everybody: staff, coaches, everybody. It’s a test of us as a group of men. As much as you want to get patterns in place and you want your strategy on the pitch, it’s going to be a physical encounter and we’ve got to prepare for that.
“Last week was a good step in the right direction and it was a tough game against Munster. We’ve got to understand that that’s what it takes to get across the line. If we can marry that with accuracy and putting our patterns into place, getting our skills right and holding onto the ball – which we did a bit better in the second half – we have a chance. If we don’t, then we’ll be running out the gate.”
