Leinster's track record in recruiting foreign players over the past decade demanded a certain level of scepticism, with the litany of underachievers that had adopted the blue jersey proving a brake on the enthusiasm of the province's supporters.

Coach Matt Williams inherited a legacy of suspicion. It wasn't a slight on his judgment; far from it. This summer was the first occasion in which he had carte blanche to recruit the players he wanted: his selections have been vindicated spectacularly during Leinster's 13-match unbeaten odyssey.

Williams approached Australians Nathan Spooner and Keith Gleeson and both accepted his overtures to join Leinster. The coach's prescience in addressing the problems that bedevilled the province last season have underpinned Leinster's march to Saturday's Celtic League Final against Munster at Lansdowne Road and in securing qualification for the knockout stages of the European Cup with two pool matches still remaining.

Gleeson, Irish born, was the more celebrated of the new recruits, as his performances against Ireland a couple of seasons ago had prompted the then Irish coach, Warren Gatland, to try to get the openside flanker to declare for Ireland.

Spooner had been capped twice by Australia in 1999, and faced Gatland's Irish team in both Tests. He contributed 16 points with the boot in the first and nine in the second, though his exploits in the latter were curtailed by an injury that forced him to retire prematurely from the Perth game.

He had just finished an outstanding season, leading Queensland to the Super 12 semi-finals, scoring 131 points in the process. Unfortunately, it was to prove a high point of his career to date. Having lost virtually the entire 1998 season to a shoulder operation, his sporting career would once again be blighted in 2000, when a groin operation left him on the sidelines once again.

Although he did return to play four Super 12 games for the Queensland Reds at the beginning of this year, he knew that Elton Flately had usurped him in the pecking order.

Williams had coached Spooner at New South Wales, where the outhalf had begun his representative career, and approached him about joining Leinster. Spooner agreed and was touted to the media in Ireland.

An injury in training soon after his arrival prompted a whispering campaign. It was suggested that the 26-year-old had arrived with a problem and there were doubts surrounding his physical well-being. He would soon dispel the rumours unequivocally. Despite missing the start of Leinster's season, he quickly established himself in the team and has been a central component in Leinster's success.

Quite apart from his place-kicking, it is Spooner's mental hardness, his ability to boss a game and extract the best from the talented three-quarters outside him that quickly won over team-mates and supporters alike.

A vindication of his temperament can be gleaned from Leinster's European Cup game against Newport at Rodney Parade.

Spooner struggled for 65 minutes, producing his poorest performance in a Leinster shirt. But then the floodlights failed, and when the teams returned few would have given the Irish province a prayer. In the closing exchanges Leinster were awarded two penalties from the half-way line: Spooner, under extreme pressure, kicked both and Leinster eked out an unlikely victory.

It was a seminal point in the province's season and Australian steel helped them stagger over the finishing line.

When the sides met for a third time, in the Celtic League quarter-final, Spooner was again a central figure, although on this occasion he would not have wished for it. Newport targeted him in a blatantly physical manner that was borderline at best and, on one occasion, the Adrian Garvey incident, unacceptable: Leinster cited the Newport prop as a result.

Spooner recovered and played his customary part in the semi-final victory over Glasgow.

Munster loom large, a match Leinster need to win: in a funny way to vindicate their credentials in an Irish context. He faces none of the media baggage that was thrust upon Munster's Ronan O'Gara and Ulster's David Humphreys when they squared up to each other in the semi-final.

On the topic of mental millstones, Spooner and Gleeson may struggle to comprehend the connotations for Leinster of facing their nemesis of recent seasons, Munster. That in itself is a healthy thing from a Leinster perspective. The more clear heads the better, and Munster should benefit in kind from Jim Williams' presence.

He will simply look to continue to provide the leadership and direction that he has offered the team this season. Williams has already singled out Spooner's defensive prowess as being a big factor in the province's parsimonious attitude to the concession of points.

He is a threat physically with the ball in hand but it is his appreciation of space and how to put those around him into it that has been the hallmark of several performances. His line-kicking is prodigious, indeed he possesses all the basic attributes for the position.

One of the principal reasons why he was sought after was to extract the best from a talented backline: even at this juncture it's fair to say he's doing a very good job.

The only area of concern is that he has suffered a couple of glitches in terms of place-kicking, and he can ill afford an off-day on Saturday in what is likely to be a tense and torrid afternoon.

He has done most of what has been asked of him. There is no reason to suspect that will change on Saturday.