A Heineken Cup semi final is the next gruelling hurdle for Nathan Hines

ONE THING'S for certain, no one will accuse Leinster of overconfidence when they travel to the South of France next weekend for their Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Toulouse. Most of the province's first XV were rested against Glasgow on Friday night because the league leaders had played Connacht on Wednesday evening and lost by a clear 14-point margin. Ouch.

It says something for the competitive nature of the Magners League competition that the bottom side can beat the top but does it also tell us about the fragile state of Leinster's mindset as they prepare to defend their European crown in the most hostile environment available? How on earth can a club beat Munster's finest in the red-hot crucible of Thomond Park before then coming second by a margin at Galway's less-than-intimidating Sportsground? It's a question that a weary Nathan Hines attempts to answer.

"I think we were focused on the (Connacht] game but we were looking over our shoulder, the guys have a lot on right now."

Hines sounds spent. Not just the I-watched-the-midnight-movie-last-night weary but properly beat, dog tired, his bones exhausted, the light of his very soul spluttering. He rarely raises his voice much above a murmur presumably because he hasn't enough energy left in the tank to do so.

It is the day after Leinster got their backsides felt by Connacht and Hines reveals that he didn't get home until 2am that very morning, his head didn't hit the pillow until almost 5am and, moreover, he never sleeps that well after a match. "They don't put that in the brochure," he says with more feeling that he has mustered to date.

Hines is weary not only for sleep but perhaps a little battle-weary too after waging war on three fronts since the start of the season: the Magners League, the Heineken Cup and Test-match duty with Scotland. The question everyone is asking is whether his current state of exhaustion extends to the province he joined last summer or whether Leinster's defeat in Galway was a blip, a mere stumble on the way to defending their European crown, something that only Leicester have managed to date, and securing their second Magners triumph in three years.

"Well, there is nothing wrong with this team," Hines asserts, "so we have to see it as a wake-up call. We won't have another opportunity to put things right. The guys who played against Connacht are being rested for the trip to Glasgow so that was our last game before the semi-final."

At least Leinster have been there, done that and already come away with a magnificent win in Toulouse's Stade Municipal so next Saturday should be seen as mission improbable rather than impossible. Four years ago, the Dubliners took the bookies and Toulouse to the cleaners, finishing up 41-35 winners in the south of France and even that score required two late tries from the home team to lend it a veneer of respectability. Several of the backs from that match are still in situ, Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll and Shane Horgan, but only one forward survives in the shape of No.8 Jamie Heaslip.

Glasgow also turned Toulouse over in the pools stages last season so the French side may just be a little vulnerable these days, but then again, Stade Francais probably thought the same thing just before being sent home to Paris with their tails tucked between their legs.

"I think that that was probably one of the better halves of rugby that Toulouse have played this season," says Hines of an imperious second-half display from Guy Noves' side. "I have only ever played in that stadium once, when I lost with Edinburgh back in 2004, and we never beat them down there when I played for Perpignan. They never beat us at home either so it was sort of a no-score draw I guess.

"Paris (Stade Francais] were poor in the second half and they didn't look fit at all, which can't have helped them. I haven't really studied the video because we had other games to focus on but if you let Toulouse play and you let them dictate the breakdown then you are going to make it difficult for yourself. When the forwards get on the front foot they are not short of backs who can take advantage of it."

Hines will find himself up against one of the great locks of world rugby in Argentine Patricio Albacete, who he deems "hugely under-rated", and he hopes that it is more than just a passing acquaintance. When quizzed as to his plans for the summer, Hines confirmed that he is available for Scotland's tour to South America and the big Aussie is a shoo-in for the squad unless coach Andy Robinson opts to rest him. "I'm not a cripple yet," is Hines' response when asked about taking it easy.

Now 33 years old, he is enjoying something of an Indian summer. He joined Perpignan and helped them to their first title in 54 years although he missed the championship final itself because he was on Lions duty in South Africa. Now he has joined the Heineken Champions and Leinster are still looking to do an impressive European and domestic double. It's not a bad resume for a lad from Wagga Wagga who Gala brought over to play club rugby in Scotland.

Hines is honest enough to admit that Leinster are a mite fortunate to find themselves in next Saturday's semi after a close encounter in the quarter-finals when Clermont's Aussie playmaker, with one of the best boots in the Top 14, somehow managed to miss five kicks and three drop goals.

"We were lucky that Brock (James] missed the kicks," admits Hines, "but we still had to get ourselves into a position where we could take advantage of that and win the game. I am not sure that they always did it but Leinster are now closing out games by one, two or three points."

The Clermont match must have taken a lot out of the Dubliners and the Toulouse tie will prove whether it depleted their energy or just their reserves of good luck.