Nathan Hines aiming to end season with a flourish

The total ambition of the domestic based professionals may be to climb sufficiently high up the Magners League table to look down on the two Italian teams and, God willing, perhaps Connacht as well, but at least one Scot is still aiming at honours in two competitions.

Nathan Hines' Leinster played in a top-of-the-table humdinger against Munster at Thomond Park last night and next weekend the Dubliners welcome Leicester Tigers to a sold-out Aviva Stadium for the Heineken Cup quarter-final. Just after the SRU announced that five Scotland players would be rested for the remainder of the season, you have to wonder who is going to travel to New Zealand in better fettle.

"We always seem to play Munster before a big Heineken Cup match," muses Hines from his Dublin base. "It's served us well before. We played the Dragons last weekend but some of the boys have had a three-week layoff without a game. That match was a gentle introduction and Munster will definitely be a step up."

With the Crusaders reminding everyone what is possible when skill and ambition come together in the right circumstances, it's tempting to see this quarter-final in a simple Star Wars context, a fight between good and evil.

On the one hand you have a Leinster team whose forwards are more than adequate but whose back line is a thing of joy, especially if the midfield trio of Jonny Sexton, Gordon D'Arcy and the still brilliant Brian O'Driscoll are weaving their magic.

Lined up against them are Leicester Tigers, fantastically well supported but unloved by most neutral fans on account of their determination to play the percentages and only cut loose once the forwards have beaten the opposition big men into submission. It's hugely effective but as entertainment it's about as exciting as yesterday's weather unless, of course, you happen to be a Tigers fan.

"I don't think it's negative," Hines is generous to a fault, "it's just their style of play and it works for them. They like to play a pressure game and they have big guys out wide like the Tuilagi brothers who can play if the forwards make some space for them."

Hines is hoping for a big finish to the season not least because the itinerant lock returns to France next season with a two-year deal from Clermont Auvergne in his pocket.

He insists that he never wanted to leave Ireland but the IRFU have a strict quota for foreign players. Clubs need to get a NIQ (Not Irish Qualified) document from the governing body and for reasons best known to themselves the Dublin suits have withdrawn Hines' exemption. Leinster are said to be not best pleased but as the lock concedes, "their hands are tied".

At the age of 34 it may be Hines last contract but he insists that any thoughts of retirement have been put to one side at least until after the World Cup. The only concession he will make is admitting: "I am probably nearer the end of my career than the beginning."

"It's funny," he recalls, "when you're young you think you are going to go on forever but one day I'll be one of those guys in the stand watching rugby and hopefully I won't think I could still be playing the game. I think as you get older you get more relaxed."

Not that Leicester are likely to agree come kick off next Saturday.

The other Heineken Cup match next Saturday is an all-French affair, albeit one that is taking place in the splendour of Barcelona's Olympic Stadium where Perpignan will hope to attract a huge Catalan crowd for their match against Toulon. Spain also hosts one of Sunday's matches when Biarritz play Toulouse in San Sebastian.

IAIN MORRISON