LIAM TOLAND - RUGBY ANALYST:At no stage should a team with championship ambitions rely on anyone but themselves.

LAST WEEKEND I attended three rugby matches: on Friday, Leinster v Connacht; on Saturday, Munster v Ulster, and finally, on Sunday, the Munster Senior Challenge Cup final between Old Crescent RFC and Cork Constitution RFC.

All six teams excelled in certain areas and ultimately the deserving teams won. However, winning the fixture doesn't always tell the full story, for each team arrives on to the pitch from very different angles. Ulster, out of Europe since 1999, are rebuilding and, with some serious talent, were gunning for victory on a one-off against Munster. The latter, conversely, are spinning a lot of plates this season, so getting through would have been just about enough.

Connacht and Old Crescent were trying to make history, and but for an atrocious refereeing decision Connacht might have.

Leinster and Cork Constitution were happy to notch up another victory before moving on.

Therefore all six sides had requirements from their respective fixtures. At various stages of each match I wondered how prevalent were these requirements to all 60 players. In championship moments, I wonder what are the players thinking. Do they fully understand the effect of their actions for the greater good of the team, and the result?

Some years back I played against Stade Français in Paris. I had one occasion to smash their little outhalf, Diego Dominguez. On doing so I then loitered on him, rubbing his face in the muck. Delighted with myself, I slowly stood up and retreated to the defensive line, only to witness Dominguez way ahead of me, offloading to their winger for a try in the corner. What was I thinking and what was he thinking?

Right on half-time Old Crescent were in the lead when the actions of one of their players resulted in a sinbinning and a reversed penalty. Cork Constitution punished them.

Earlier that weekend, the actions of two Leinster players have led to them being cited and punished for some serious retaliation. Leinster's European journey may be punished.

Of the six teams, Ulster were by far the most impressive, where their hard-running lines attacking weak shoulders paid massive dividends. But clearly they all understood the plan, stuck to it rigidly and didn't allow a wandering mind to affect the performance and the result. Combined to that discipline of thought, their physicality, and particularly their backrow, led by Stephen Ferris, got the edge over Munster. Outhalf Ian Humphreys is far from the finished article where he will be tested physically, but he understands how to manage the game and pulled the strings in an accomplished performance. Isaac Boss had his best performance I can recall. These displays don't arrive by accident.

So when Leinster prop Stanley Wright and Connacht prop John Lyne were faffing about at scrum time like two grumpy wildebeest, I wondered had they their team's best interests at heart. Did they understand their role in the performance? A prop is supposed to provide the platform, through the scrum, to allow the team to exploit the space the scrum creates. Last weekend Connacht and Leinster, or more specifically Wright and Lyne, neutralised the greatest attacking player in Ireland, Rob Kearney. When it's your team's scrum you must produce a solid scrum structure to allow complete predictability of ball arrival. This facilitates Kearney, Keith Earls, etc, to time runs with precision. Worryingly there have been few first-phase scores from scrums this season, even with 10 extra metres available.

But what could referee Peter Fitzgibbon have done? Go back to our old friend, Gen Friedrich Paulus, whose answer to the Stalingrad stalemate was simply to do nothing. Unfortunately, when you're holding the whistle you must do something.

While the referee is figuring it all out each player must rise above his needs for the needs of the team. What was Paul O'Connell thinking when Clermont's Jamie Cudmore was smacking him? He took the punch for the team and waited for the touchjudge to enter. Unfortunately the touchjudge took a little longer than expected! At no stage should a team with championship ambitions rely on anyone but themselves. Once you look to someone else, a referee, a talismanic substitute or the coach, you will lose.

So when your backline is loaded with D'Arcy, Contepomi, Fitzgerald, Horgan and Kearney, you must get the scrum solid. Late in the game a scrum on the right allowed Leinster to stack their considerable backline, but the ball never arrived. Opportunity wasted?

It's extraordinary how many anorak websites, blogs, etc, fail to mention Kearney as a Test Lion. Now that he's in his position at 15, Wales' Lee Byrne will be under pressure. But the scrum is his greatest enemy.

This is made all the worse by the advent of the ELVs. Kearney has 10 extra metres to work in and with decoy runners that would put the fear of God into you: more must be made of his talent in green and blue.

So in preparation for the Heineken Cup each team needs to focus on the strength of mind required to overcome their respective challenges. Munster, no doubt, will return to their successful formula of squeezing the life out of the opposition. Tonight's fixture against Ospreys will require this, where it will be fascinating to see how Rua Tipoki's loss can be managed, particularly with Sonny Parker at 13.

Ulster have proved, when focused, they can overcome; Connacht likewise. And with so much at stake, Leinster, focused, can use the considerable challenge of Cardiff tomorrow as the building block that will ensure Kearney hits the line at full pace in Twickenham.