RUGBY HEINEKEN CUP FINAL:NO MAN is irreplaceable but some are more replaceable than others. Leinster have contingency plans in place should Brian O'Driscoll not make their final line-up and Fergus McFadden – already pressing hard for a wing spot – is in the form of his life. But for the big occasion, and few come bigger, you want your big players, and yer man isn't bad.
On the premise he is “pretty confident” the talismanic number 13 will be named in Leinster’s team today, Joe Schmidt admitted: “Experience in these big games is a great thing to have and he has such a dogged, competitive attitude, he’s just hard to beat down, so it’ll be great if we have him with us. I was nervous at the start of the week, but I’m nervous at the start of every week so I don’t think that was any different.”
If not exactly cast in stone, Schmidt’s big-game selections have been pretty consistent, as the unchanged quarter-final and semi-final line-ups demonstrate. Injuries apart, and Schmidt declared Richardt Strauss good to go after coming through training yesterday, the main selection posers for the coach remain backrow, scrumhalf and wing which, if anything, have tightened in recent weeks.
With Shane Jennings back to fitness and form, the case for starting with his big-game experience and knowledge of the English club game has strengthened, to lead the defensive line and slow down or poach ball when Northampton launch James Downey and co up the middle, while allowing Seán O’Brien to do his thing at number six.
Alternatively, Kevin McLaughlin’s physicality close-in and lineout skills have been a real boon and recalling how Leicester Tigers’ Tom Croft ate into the Northampton lineout last week McLaughlin could be a real weapon in helping to negate one of their strengths.
Although Eoin Reddan and Isaac Boss have improved their service under Schmidt’s expert tutelage, scrumhalf is something of a signature selection. The coach has preferred the physicality of Boss for the bigger away fixtures and against his old Ulster team-mates, but although Reddan didn’t have his best day in the semi-final, opting for him would be a declaration Leinster are going to seek their customary high-tempo and width from the start. And that is Schmidt’s and Leinster’s style.
Until his superb solo try in the 72nd minute the case for retaining Luke Fitzgerald over the more confident and in-form McFadden had dimmed, but that should restore his self-belief. Ultimately, Schmidt may take the view if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It would be tough on Jennings, Boss or McFadden, but either way, it also makes for a pretty strong bench.
Schmidt can be proud of his achievement in guiding Leinster to both finals in his first season in charge, but when asked what the goals were at the outset of the season, he quipped: “Me, personally, just to survive. Not to be sacked in the first two months. We sat down at the start of the season and, really our goals even then weren’t result based, they were more performance based.
“We just wanted to say, ‘right, this is how we would like to play, this is how we would like our supporters to enjoy the way that we play and let’s try to construct our game so that we enjoy what we are doing as well’. As pragmatic as it sounds, that’s pretty much what we have done.”
That will be their approach against a counterpart and a team for which he clearly has the height of respect. “I think they have got a really good coach. I remember watching the England Saxons play a while ago and I just thought they were really well drilled and they had a fair bit of clarity about what they were doing. Jim Mallinder has done a really good job with Northampton.”
He also spoke of the Leicester-like edge Dorian West has brought to the Saints’ potent and abrasive pack, adding: “They have got some really athletic guys as well as some driving, grafting guys and a loose trio that have been really effective, albeit missing Tom Wood. (Steve) Myler has put them in the right parts of the park when he has the sort of service he has had from the forward pack and (Ben) Foden, (Chris) Ashton, Bruce Reihana, (Paul) Diggin – whoever they play in their back three have been lethal on counter-attack.”
“James Downey just does not put a foot wrong, you’re always up for your first mistake so let’s hope he makes one on Saturday but he’s such a big, strong lad, he gives them such a solid target in the middle of the field. And I thought (Jon) Clarke’s try against Perpignan was top class. So, a pretty good side. Even at half-back they have mixed and matched a little bit earlier in the season but they have very clearly made a choice now (Dickson) and I think he has been really good for them as well.”
Schmidt echoed Mallinder’s view that he would prefer the Millennium Stadium roof to be open given the favourable weather forecast. However, unlike a Six Nations game which requires the approval of both coaches, this will be an ERC decision prior to today’s captain’s runs (which will then be conducted under match-day conditions). Given the roof has been closed for the three previous finals at the Millennium – in 2002, ’06 and ’08 – it’s reasonable to assume that ERC’s preference would be to create that atmosphere again.
