Leinster are now all the fashion

RUGBY: All is change. Not only do Leinster embark upon the New Year as proven winners, with 14 victories and, after a few hiccups, a Celtic League trophy to their name, but - whisper it - they're also literally in fashion like never before.

Leinster replica jerseys were sold out by Christmas and are, for the moment, nearly impossible to acquire. According to Leinster PRO Tom McCormack, Arnotts had only two medium-sized jerseys left by Christmas Eve.

It seems a combination of the Celtic League final and the holiday season ensured an unprecedented run on the provincial jerseys.

Similarly, McCormack has been mildly astonished to receive emails from as varied destinations as Ulster, France and Argentina requesting merchandise: "Leinster are obviously a good-looking team at the moment."

Leinster manager Ken Ging has been surprised to receive emails from the Cornish Leinster Supporters Club, most of whom are based in Newcastle and will help swell a small but again unprecedented number of travelling supporters for both this weekend's and the ensuing trip to Toulouse for their final pool game on Saturday week.

"Outside the team the reception has been extraordinary," admits Leinster coach Matt Williams.

"You can't go anywhere without people coming up to you and saying something, and in a very nice way. I even had a couple of days out west and everywhere you went people would come up and talk to you.

"And that's great for the guys, it adds to their sense of satisfaction. But this week at training the job's only half done.

"That's one competition we're in. We're obviously delighted with it, but there's two other competitions we're in and we don't want to blow all the hard work we've done," he explains.

It's still hard not to think that Leinster crossed a threshold when they beat Munster on December 15th, though how this might give the team a tangible benefit, Williams' estimation yesterday was probably on the money.

"I think the benefits for the team won't come until the quarter-finals. That's the first time we've ever won a quarter-final or semi-final or, obviously, a final. Because of that experience they (the players) now equate play-offs with success, which is a huge thing, whereas before you equated play-offs with the unknown.

"So I think we'll see the benefits of that (Celtic League win) in the quarter-finals.

"At this time of year it's hard to knuckle down, but our lads have been great. But it will be interesting to see what happens on Saturday. That's a big test for us, going away against a very good side."

Although Leinster are the only team already guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals, to obtain an all-important home tie in the last eight they might have to beat not only Newcastle away but Toulouse away the following week as well.

"It's still too close to call what will get you top four and a home quarter-final. You may have to get 12 points; 10 should do it but there's a possibility 10 won't do it."

Williams admits Leinster's lack of matches since December 15th "has been great". Aside from affording tired bodies a rest, it has allowed many of them to overcome a flu bug which swept through the squad last week.

The flip side of that coin is that Newcastle will have been kept ticking over, whereas Leinster, like all of their Irish counterparts, will have gone a tad rusty.

Because of that, and because the Falcons are an altogether different species at the 7,500 capacity Kingston Park, Leinster are bracing themselves for what they think will be one of their toughest games of the season.

It will, invariably at this time of year, be bitterly cold, and now that Leinster have won 14 games in a row (including a win over Newcastle) and have the title of Celtic champions on their CV, opposing teams need less motivation than ever.

"I think they've only lost to Newport and Leicester. Leicester was their first game (of the season) and they played particularly well against them," says Williams.

The Leinster coach rates Jonny Wilkinson the best number 10 on the planet.

"Wilkinson is such a fantastic player that even when they don't play well they're always in touch.

"We saw them against Gloucester last week and they didn't play well for an hour. It was 24-3 and they came back and in many ways should have won it.

"Gloucester kicked a penalty in the last few seconds to give them a buffer.

" But that's what Newcastle can do to you, and at home in a game where there's no pressure on them, they'll come out and run it from anywhere. I think it will be a fantastic game."