Celtic League news: More than matching Munster physically in the collisions and the breakdown was one thing; doing so against bottom-of-the-table Borders in front of a small crowd on a Friday night Netherdale is another. Though it might sound distinctly odd, in some respects last week was the easier part, reports Gerry Thornley.
With Leinster the impression would be that they'd find it harder than most, even if that is probably a little bit unfair. After all, they wouldn't have finished second and missed out on the league by a solitary point without being in some way consistent.
Nevertheless, the corresponding trek to Netherdale last season provides a useful reference point. Coming seven days after the high point of their campaign, that compelling 41-35 Heineken European Cup quarter-final away to Toulouse, Leinster scratchily won a madcap league tie by 35-34 in Netherdale.
"There's a lot of similarities with last year," admitted coach Michael Cheika yesterday.
"We came off the back of a good win, but I see already a different attitude from the players about learning from that experience and making sure that we knuckle down when we go up there. Because they're going to be looking to claim our scalp and they would see us coming up there as a golden opportunity to kick-start their season."
With one eye on their European Cup opener against Gloucester on Saturday week, both Shane Horgan (shoulder) and Girvan Dempsey, who hurt his sternum in training on Monday, are nursing minor knocks and have been rested as a precaution.
This means recalls for Kieran Lewis and Rob Kearney, not only to the 25-man squad announced by Cheika yesterday but also, most probably, to the 22 when it is announced, in which Luke Fitzgerald is likely to start.
"In no way is that disrespectful of the opposition," insisted Cheika. "We have quality players coming in to replace them. I wouldn't be looking to rest blokes. Ronan McCormack is suspended after picking up his third yellow card of the season.
Reflecting on the win over Munster, Cheika said, "I thought we mixed it up well in terms of our passion and aggression, and following the game strategy that we had set out.
"The players had the confidence to keep the game-plan in motion even when we didn't get the lead we would have liked with the wind in the first half. They mixed up the two - the hard aggression and a bit more composure when we needed to attack in certain zones. We missed a few tackles which you would expect against Munster. It's hard to bring down guys like Wallace and Leamy."
As satisfying as it was to put one over their great provincial rivals, so also was the win in front of such a huge home support.
Cheika revealed that even the players were taken aback by the sudden stream of late arrivals, which also gave the team a boost. Once again though, there won't be anything like that backdrop at Netherdale tomorrow.
"Playing in front of a couple of thousand instead of 30,000 is difficult and it's a different challenge," mused Cheika. "But I think it's part of the growth of individual players too. They've got to be mentally strong and have more desire than just doing it for the moment, or having that type of inconsistency, because you want to be a good player and a good team all the time.
"And it's really our ambition to play our style of game with intensity, and not just one week, but consistently."
Acknowledging that the intensity led to mistakes on both sides, Cheika conceded, "I would agree that they (Munster) made some uncharacteristic mistakes and we won't get that chance against them again, because they won't make those mistakes twice. They're too good a team. So we've got to make sure we get better. We've got our feet very firmly planted on the ground.
"We've got a lot extra to do, to really get our performances right every week, not just get them right in some fantasy land, but play well every week and minimise our mistakes. It's important that we focus on not giving the opposition too many opportunities to attack us."
Flanker Matt Lacey (shoulder) has been ruled out of the last of Connacht's six successive home league games when they entertain Newport-Gwent Dragons at the Sportsground tomorrow (kick-off 6.30pm) in the type of game that could ultimately define their campaign - thereby joining Stephen Knoop (back), Ronan Loughney (knee), David McGowan (hamstring), Joe Merrigan (foot) and Conor O'Loughlin (shoulder) on an expanding casualty list.
By contrast, Ulster have a relatively clean bill of health after back-to-back interpros away to Munster and Connacht. Paul Steinmetz, who has recovered from a shoulder injury picked up against Munster, and Adam Larkin, who captained Ulster A last weekend when they beat a development side from New South Wales Waratahs, have been added to the 22-man squad Ulster had on duty last week.
The team to face Cardiff at Ravenhill on Saturday (kick-off 5.30) will be named on Friday, and Ulster are offering a special family package for this match whereby up to two adults and three children can enter the ground for just £25.
n Leinster have also confirmed that their opening European Cup game against high-flying Gloucester at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week will be an all-ticket affair and tickets can be purchased online at www.leinsterrugby.ie as well as the usual outlets: Spar (Donnybrook and Santry), Centra (Cornelscourt), Elvery's (Suffolk St and Dawson St), Active Sports (Blackrock) and Leinster's rugby store in Donnybrook.
WEEKEND SQUADS
LEINSTER (v Border Reivers, tomorrow): Backs: Chris Whitaker, Guy Easterby, Cillian Willis, Christian Warner, Felipe Contepomi, Brian O'Driscoll (captain), Gordon D'Arcy, Denis Hickie, Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney, Kieran Lewis. Forwards: Brian Blaney, Harry Vermaas, Bernard Jackman, Reggie Corrigan, Will Green, Johnny Wickham, Malcolm O'Kelly, Trevor Hogan, Owen Finegan, Stephen Keogh, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip, Cameron Jowitt, Niall Ronan.
ULSTER (v Cardiff, Saturday): Backs: Bryn Cunningham, Andrew Maxwell, Scott Young, Paul Steinmetz, Kevin Maggs, Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble, David Humphreys, Adam Larkin, Isaac Boss, Kieran Campbell. Forwards: Justin Fitzpatrick, Bryan Young, Declan Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Paul Shields, Justin Harrison, Matt McCullough, Tim Barker, Stephen Ferris, Neil Best, Kieron Dawson, Neil McMillan, Roger Wilson.
CONNACHT (v Dragons, tomorrow): Andrew Farley, Adrian Flavin, John Fogarty, David Gannon, Ray Hogan, Chris Keane, Keith Matthews, Mark McHugh, Matt Mostyn, John Muldoon, Brendan O'Connor, Ray Ofisa, Colm Rigney, Daniel Riordan, Ted Robinson, Brett Sturgess, Michael Swift, Tom Tierney, Paul Warwick, Gavin Williams, Brett Wilkinson, Darren Yapp.
