MUNSTER VERSUS Leinster. The current lack of established grunt in the home pack seems to indicate a swing in momentum as throngs of rugby folk finally make their way back up to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.
Last time this patch of land hosted this skirmish Leinster were mugged both on and off the pitch. There were swathes of red in the blue sections as Michael Cheika’s first of five seasons in charge came to a grinding halt at the penultimate stage of European competition. “30-6!” was the catcall from 2006 until it was reversed to “25-6!” in 2009.
Leinster have won the last four encounters, including a brilliant display in the European semi-final two seasons ago at a crammed Croke Park. All this should ensure a ruthlessly efficient response from Munster, a lá the Tipperary hurlers, to stymie Leinster’s drive for five.
“I think it is important to look back in more detail at those ones than the ones we’ve won,” said Munster coach Tony McGahan yesterday. “If we look back and gather ways of seeing what their theme was in breaking us down and we look to ourselves as well because a lot of it was our own undoing, as regards our set-piece and high numbers of turnover ball.
“They are under new management and have a new game plan and the amalgamation of both those things means we will, I’m sure, maybe get a bit of the old on Saturday.”
The old Munster dog, that is.
There will be notable absentees on both sides, like opposing captains Paul O’Connell and Leo Cullen, although McGahan indicated yesterday Keith Earls and Jerry Flannery may return for round two of the Heineken Cup against Toulon on October 16th. Felix Jones however faces up to six months on the sidelines with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
With criticism of the largely-unknown Leinster coach Joe Schmidt gaining a voice, the captain of his former club, Clermont Auvergne, Aurelien Rougerie, lent a few words of support, despite Leinster’s back-to-back meetings with the French champions in December.
“He brought a lot to our club as he taught us the basics and brought in our attacking lines – he will do well for Leinster,” said Rougerie.
Meanwhile, the Ulster medical team are unable to put a recovery time on the injuries sustained by Stephen Ferris (shoulder girdle) and BJ Botha (wrist) except to state neither suffered “bone damage.” Both are major doubts for the opening Heineken Cup match against Italian side Airioni on Friday week.
Botha’s injury means Ulster’s frontrow options are down to the bare bones with reserve props Declan Fitzpatrick (calf) and Adam Macklin (ankle) also unavailable for Glasgow’s visit to Ravenhill on Friday.
Some good news for Connacht coach Eric Elwood ahead of tomorrow’s match in Cardiff is flanker Johnny O’Connor has returned from his latest long-term injury ahead of schedule.
