NICK KENNEDY COLUMN: Now focus turns to Heineken Cup

It didn't go well for us at the start of the season, but since the Saracens defeat at Twickenham we beat both Gloucester and Leeds with bonus points, and then Wasps and Sale.

We’re very happy with the ways things are going at the moment, although last Friday at Sale was a tough one. The conditions were not brilliant, but it was great to get the points and go second in the table.

It’s early days yet and there’s a lot of rugby to play, but being second is great because you want to be in the top four at the end of the season to fight in the play-offs and win the Premiership.

This season, Toby Booth has been looking to improve on things from last year when we got to the Premiership final and lost by one point. He’s trying to make small improvements to every aspect and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing on the pitch.

Now, though, the focus shifts from the Premiership to the Heineken Cup. We’re playing Leinster on Friday night over in Dublin and that’s a pretty big game to start off with!

It’s going to be massive. They’re a talented side who just beat Munster 30-0 – that just shows what great form they’re in.

As a player you always want to play the best teams because it’s a great feeling when you beat the best. The boys here are really looking forward to it.

If we can go on a bit of a run – even though our group is very difficult – then there’s no reason why we can’t win the Heineken Cup.

On a personal note, I’ve just launched my new calendar for women, ‘Rugby’s Finest’. It features Premiership and England stars and is out in all good bookshops next week. Take a look at www.rugbysfinest.com.