By Tadhg Peavoy
Leinster captain Leo Cullen has highlighted that any World Cup hangover is now gone as his province attempts to retain the Heineken Cup.
“It’s long gone at this stage. Once you get back in a different environment obviously it is very, very different.
"I think maybe for some of the guys that were more involved in playing at the World Cup it maybe takes a little bit longer to get over that mental shift, but for me personally, I was just dying to get back playing the game," Cullen said.
“Europe is what it’s all about and we’re trying to get a bit of momentum. We’ve got four tough [Heineken Cup] games in a pretty short period of time. We can’t afford to have any slip-ups.”
Cullen has also highlighted the entertainment value to the fans of the upcoming Leinster-Munster clash in the RaboDirect PRO12.
“I think they’re special occasions in the fact that the supporters buy into them so much. I didn’t play in the game last year in the Aviva, but the colour in the stadium is phenomenal and the atmosphere is pretty special, whether that is in Dublin or down in Limerick, in Thomond – they’re special events.”
Leinster have been drawn with Bath, Glasgow Warriors and 2011’s Top 14 runners-up Montpellier in Heineken Cup Pool 3. Leinster boss Joe Schmidt sees European new boys Montpellier as a big threat to the Lions and has spoken about their strengths.
“I know [Montpellier coach] Fabien Galthié pretty well and spent a bit of time with him at Stade Francais about six years ago. I know a little bit about how he thinks and he'd know every bit as much about me.
“He did a great job at Stade Francais, they were one of the big teams at the time and he’s taken a year to transform Montpellier to a top-of-the-table side, as opposed to a mid to lower-table side.
“They’ve haven’t started [the French league] well. They’ve lost six of nine this year. They’ve been deprived of a number of quality players and that’s been frustrating for them.
“But at the same time, Marmuka Gorgodze’s back, Sakiusa Matadigo’s back; he will have Francois Trinh-Duc and Fulgence Ouedraogo back.
“They’ve certainly made a big thing of the first game against the defending champions, looking to sell out Stade de le Mosson, the football stadium in Montpellier. I think that’s a big thing for them.
“They’ve got some really good imports. I think Thomas Combezou you wouldn’t know. He was a kid who came through the academy system at Clermont – a kid I know really well.
“I set a meeting with Combezou, myself and the rugby director at Clermont and tried to convince him to stay at the time. He thought because Marius Joubert, Gonzalo Canale and Aurélien Rougerie were playing centre he might not get a game. He was obviously impatient that he played and he went to La Rochelle and has now landed in Montpellier. I think he’s a very good player.
“Yoan Audrin, the winger, is a very good player. He’s very nippy. He’s come across from Castres. Rémy Martin has come across from Bayonne.
“There’s a bunch of guys who I think are very, very good players. Fabien will mould them together very quickly.”
Schmidt was also keen to point out that Trinh-Duc is a coming player and will be a serious threat in Pool 3.
“I think it was evident in the World Cup final, as much as I am a fan of Morgan Parra as a half-back, that when he got injured and went off and was replaced at ten by Trinh-Duc, the difference that Trinh-Duc made to that attacking unit was massive.
“He’s got any eye for the gap, an eye for the opportunity. He snapped up Piri Weepu’s little kick-pass; he snapped up Tomás O’Leary’s no-look pass in the [World Cup] warm-up games. He does read a game very, very well. He’s a big, strong lad.
“He’s a long kicking-game and he’s a good defender. I think he’s a phenomenal running threat.”
Leinster open their Heineken Cup campaign against Montpellier at Stade de la Mosson on Saturday 12 November, kick-off 1.30pm.
