Jimmy O’Brien wary of Glasgow test on back of Champions Cup heartbreak
Despite there being an expectation that Leinster will bounce back from their Champions Cup heartbreak at the hands of La Rochelle, experience has taught Jimmy O’Brien not to take Glasgow Warriors for granted.
The RDS in Ballsbridge is the venue tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 3.15pm) for the Irish province’s United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash with their Scottish counterparts. Leinster may have finished seven places and 17 points ahead of their forthcoming opponents in the regular URC table, but a 15-12 reversal to Glasgow in the Rainbow Cup exactly a year ago tomorrow at Scotstoun Stadium still sticks in O’Brien’s memory.
“When they actually beat us over there last year, a lot of us were playing. That’s kind of still a scar for a lot of the lads playing. I think I was playing left-wing that day and they really got into us and got a good win out of it. That really pissed us off, we were very frustrated. They’re a good side with a lot of good players. It’s going to be a very tough game,” O’Brien explained.
“They’ve strengths all over the park. I’ve been looking at their backs a lot more. Their 10, Ross Thompson, is a very good left-footer. He’s very young, but he has taken the reins now and starts week in, week out for them. I know the young full-back, Ollie Smith, he’s been good this season. They have a lot of threats all over the park.” While O’Brien made a host of appearances during Leinster’s successful marches towards Pro14 titles in 2019, 2020 and 2021, he was forced to watch from the sideline during the business end of each campaign. He is in a much different position on this occasion, however, and is hoping to play an integral role as Leo Cullen’s men set their sights on the inaugural URC crown.
“I hadn’t really played knockout rugby for Leinster up until this season, so I really want to play in these big games. Hopefully we still have three big knockout games to come, starting this weekend against Glasgow. I’d love to play in it. They’re still massive games and I’d love to play in another final and try to win one.”
When speaking to the media on Tuesday, O’Brien was still trying to come to terms with Leinster’s agonising European loss to La Rochelle in Marseille just three days earlier. Although his performance on the day from the right-wing was generally regarded as a strong one, this was scant consolation for the Kildare native in the grand scheme of things.
“My girlfriend tried telling me that as well and I told her I would have taken playing the worst game of my career if we had won. I would have taken a red card, doing everything bad. Missing every tackle, dropping every ball if we had just won. It’s very, very difficult. I wanted us to win and everyone in the building did. We were so focused on winning it,” O’Brien added.