Running show in an unflustered manner

Chris Whitaker Interview:It may not be entirely coincidental the four games in which Chris Whitaker has played for Leinster this season are the four games in which they were unbeaten. More settled in his second season, the former New South Wales and Wallabies scrumhalf has become an even more influential playmaker for Leinster, running the show in his own unflustered way from the base.

"Whitaker is in the best form of his career," declared Michael Cheika this week. "He's at that stage in his career when he's a mature player. He's a great team man, he is so respected within the group and is happy to help Cillian Willis and Chris Keane. He's more confident in his leadership role and he really likes the lifestyle over here.

"The move has worked out for him and I'm delighted for him. You'd think he was here 10 years."

Even when obliged to watch the World Cup from his new home in Dublin, Whitaker had no regrets about voluntarily ending his Wallabies' career by moving to Leinster. "Not at all. I was 100 per cent happy with my decision. I've loved every minute of being over here with my wife and kids, just the different experiences and different cultures and competitions.

"Australia is only 200 years old. We've got nothing. It's just brand new. You walk down the street here and you find something that's older than our country. I find that amazing. You go away and play and within an hour you're in a totally different culture. Castles? We don't have anything like that in Australia. You take a five-hour flight and you're in Perth."

It's a long way from the dry hard tracks of Oz, but Whitaker reveals the softer tracks have been better for his knees, adding that Rod Kafer and Pat Howard made the same welcome discovery from moving to the Northern Hemisphere.

"I think we've made big improvements in terms of our style. We're working on certain things in training that are slowly starting to come into our game which has been good. The forwards have been consistently playing well. They get a lot of flak for not performing but each week they just put their hands up and get going. Ollie le Roux has been really good and the guys ask a lot of questions and learn a lot off him."

A very large jury awaits to be convinced about the worth of le Roux's worth, but Whitaker speaks highly of the ex-Springboks' influence and presence, "and he's just so smart and so skilful".

Whitaker is something of an antidote to the sometimes highly strung, often inspired and usually unpredictable Felipe Contepomi. "I think a lot of guys feed off his excitement. He's South American so he's excitable, and the guys love it. The guys get pumped up because he gets pumped up and he's going to be good to have back for sure."

Needless to say, he doesn't envisage Contepomi's lack of game time with Leinster this season to be a problem. "Not at all. He's played with everybody outside him for the last two years. I think Felipe is at his best when he's given a free rein and allowed to go for it. He's less structured, so you have to be on your game the whole time. Passing to him is a bit different as well. He takes the ball more forward, whereas most outhalves will take it standing back a little more. You've always got to be aware of what he's doing and he's one of those players who can have a go at any time, even from his own try line, so you've just got to be ready as much as you are for the opposition," says Whitaker with a slightly wry smile

The Aussie likens the sudden advent of the European Cup, with more of a knock-out feel, as akin to the Super 14. "You've got to win your home games, sneak a few on the road and every game is massively important. It adds that little more excitement and everyone's more on edge, and the atmosphere is better."

He's fully aware Leicester at the RDS on Saturday will demand a vast improvement from himself and his team-mates, albeit maintaining that back-to-back games against Ulster and Connacht were useful preparation: "It's just what we needed for this weekend, because it's going to be tough."