JONO GIBBES landed amongst the reporters standing idly in the Riverview car-park yesterday morning.

“Can we make this quick, fellas – I have training to get to.”

Leinster’s forwards coach provided his usual polite yet straight-bat media duties, completing the only aspect of the job he doesn’t seem to relish with 5.19 on the dictaphone.

Thankfully, Jamie Heaslip was also on site, rewarded with a day off yesterday after leading Leinster to the 54-13 smashing of Edinburgh the previous Friday, and he was happy to garnish our attempts to make today’s story about Gibbes.

“Probably the way Jono played comes through in the way he coaches,” said Heaslip. “He’s very decisive on what we want to do, very clear and it’s all about executing the detail.

“He expects a high standard. We try and deliver for him every week. I can’t say enough about Jono. He’s a great coach.”

Still only 35 years old, this is Gibbes’s first professional coaching gig but the gathering of two European titles since his arrival in 2008 guarantees it won’t be his last.

A Waikato legend, despite an injury-ravaged career, capped just eight times by New Zealand, his most celebrated moment in a black jersey was for the Maori in 2005 when he captained them to the epic 19-13 defeat of Brian O’Driscoll’s British and Irish Lions.

That Timatanga (Maori haka) ranks as one of the most fearsome ever witnessed; Gibbes was animalistic when looming over the hysterical, eye-bulging Rua Tipoki, Rico Gear and departing Carlos Spencer.

It was a magical night for the natives with Gibbes leading both spiritually and physically. In the face of Steve Thompson from the outset, he almost decapitated Gordon D’Arcy with a 77th-minute tackle. He cramped up, he got up, he scrummed down.

Incidentally, Greg Feek was also on the park by the finish, assisting the disruption of a late Lions driving maul that eventually saw O’Driscoll bamboozle the midfield defence for a cracking try. But the Maori held on for a historic win, secured by Gibbes’s soaring to take an 80th-minute lineout.

A year later he led them to Churchill Cup success, seeing off an Ireland A side 27-6. Two summers later, on his arrival in Dublin to replace a fellow All Black blindside in Mike Brewer, Heaslip felt it necessary to remind him of their previous meeting in the Churchill Cup match in northern California.

“I think I poached two balls off him from the ground, so I gave him a bit of stick saying it’s easier to rob a ball off a baby.

“But he’s come and just brought his own style to it. He’s a man that doesn’t have to speak loudly for you to sit up and listen to him. He has that respect from the players. You know the way he played, he played hard, and I think a lot of people respect that. We listen to the guy because we respect him so much.”

During Heaslip’s time as the resident number eight he’s been answerable to Michael Cheika, Brewer and now Gibbes.

“I’ve been so lucky in Leinster. I think every forwards coach I’ve had has been a backrow which is fantastic.

“Jono’s got a very good rugby brain on him. You think you do a good job, pat yourself on the back, come in and Jono has a nice video to bring you back down to earth.”

Speaking of backrow collisions, it turns out Heaslip and his Ireland team-mate Stephen Ferris have only played against each other twice, the last time being Leinster’s 21-13 victory up in Ravenhill way back in December, 2008.

The suspicion is that both teams will select full-strength sides this Friday as they have eight and nine day turnarounds before their respective European semi-finals.

“We were laughing actually during the Six Nations that, whether it’s due to injuries or rotation, I haven’t played against Fez (Ferris) in years.

“I’d love the chance to go up against him this week and the two of us have a rattle off each other, and have a laugh afterwards.

“I’m sure him and Seánie (O’Brien) – who room with each other in Ireland camp – would be looking forward to it, to see who would have slagging rights over each other.

“They’ve a great side and no matter what team they put out it’s going to be a tough ask for us to go up there. They’ve got a lot to play for. I think they’re in the mix for the final play-off spot for the semi-finals.

“I know they love playing on Friday nights up there in front of their crowd. Hopefully, we’ll get the weather and it’ll be a great night of rugby.”