When Leinster returned to the Lansdowne Road dressing-room during the 2001 Celtic League final -- a man and 12-6 down -- few amongst their even hardened support gave much for their chances of instigating a revival against Munster.

Few except for Matt Williams, their then coach. He launched into his troops with a stunning exercise in restorative oratory. "Everyone in the country is saying we're going to fold. Are they right? Or are they wrong? We have to get back in the game-plan. Get the ball. Run at them. Be ourselves. Be Leinster."

Thrillingly, the remaining 14 men standing -- after Eric Miller's uncharacteristic outbreak of petulance against Anthony Foley earned him a sending-off -- acted upon Williams' exhortations to the letter. Discarding their handicap, they played some stunning rugby, bringing to the highest stage -- over 40,000 attended the pulsating encounter -- their familiar template of exciting, running rugby which would thrill thousands more in seasons to come.

Triumph

Only their failure to add to that triumph has blotted their progress; for those of us sports fans who admire aesthetic beauty -- Leinster, Offaly hurlers, Arsenal -- it is always easier for critics to chide about the recent failure of these sides to marry beauty with booty.

Except it is impossible to ignore the really great sides who have managed to do just that -- Kilkenny hurlers, Kerry footballers, Manchester United, Toulouse -- even Leicester Tigers, one of a select band to win multiple Heineken Cups (back-to-back triumphs in 2001-02).

Shane Jennings arrived back to Leinster this season after two years at the Welford Road club where winning is a habit -- the St Mary's College man won an Anglo-Welsh Cup and Premiership crown there. The flanker has returned in the hope of inaugurating a similar culture under Michael Cheika.

"It's all about experience," he offers, before alluding to an obvious reference point -- Munster. "It does count for a lot, I remember Paul O'Connell talking about it last week and he's right.

"When you're younger you don't realise what it is, but it certainly does help down the road. At Leicester we had those guys in certain tight situations. We had the culture with Martin Johnson and those guys. It was beaten into them to be honest with you. Hopefully, that's building here as well and if it can keep building, a culture can come from that. But you need success and you need performances."

His own experience of playing in tight matches for Leicester -- and winning in them -- should help as Leinster seek to take the giant step across a winning line when they host Newport Gwent Dragons at the RDS on Saturday.

"You look to the guys with experience," says Jennings. "The guys who are experienced here already, the guys who have been abroad, Ollie (le Roux) and Chris (Whitaker) who have been in certain circumstances. Hopefully, my little experience of cup finals might help.

"When they've come close and let themselves down on the last weekend. Fear is probably a good motivation, and I'm using that fear because we have a chance to win it and we don't want to throw that opportunity."

Jennings' return home was seen as an obvious pathway back into international rugby after being quizzically overlooked by Eddie O'Sullivan during his time in England. Yet Simon Easterby clambered from retirement to stave off all challengers, even during the Six Nations, while Jennings also admits that Leinster's latest Heineken Cup gaffe, combined with squad rotation, frustrated him to distraction.

"Yeah of course at times you ask yourself questions," says Jennings, the most pertinent query being 'What the hell am I doing back here?' "Obviously with the Heineken Cup, these are the games you want to play.

"And then you're being rotated at six and seven, so you'll start to ask yourself questions. But there's no doubt in my mind I made the right decision to come home though.

"When you're in doubt at times you have to put your head down and work harder, so when you come out at the end of it you're happier. I see it that way and it's nice to be in the situation where's the potential to get silverware. So I just want to keep grounded and if we can get a good performance we can get a medal."

Like his squad members, Jennings is embracing this week's challenge and his competitive spirit will be a boon to his side's chances of closing the deal and scratching his side's seven-year trophy itch. And then, who knows, a summer trip with Declan Kidney, whose final act as Leinster coach was to omit him for a Heineken Cup quarter-final against ... Leicester. The world keeps turning.

- David Kelly