RUGBY:SO, THE great one will play after all. That changes things. And, it transpires, there's still a chance the other Leinster player who at the very least is on the cusp of true greatness might also play. That really changes things. Game on.
Not that Leinster wouldn’t have had a chance of overcoming Clermont Auvergne this evening at the Aviva Stadium without Brian O’Driscoll and Jamie Heaslip. But had all four of their Lions Test starters of two years ago been ruled out – remembering that Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney are sidelined and given O’Driscoll and Heaslip are probably their most influential, go-to men in moments of need – Leinster’s chances of beating the French champions would have been seriously diminished.
Put another way, Heaslip scored both of Leinster’s tries (one of them brilliantly created by O’Driscoll) in that epic, 29-28 quarter-final win over Clermont at the RDS last season.
How Munster would love to have had Superman involved in their match away to Ospreys earlier this afternoon. Instead, in light of Paul O’Connell’s four-week ban, they are unchanged save for Donnacha Ryan returning to the bench.
There’s been plenty of public moaning from the Ospreys about Munster’s scrummaging and lineout work. The Welsh club have shifted Tommy Bowe into midfield instead of Andrew Bishop, with Nikki Walker recalled to the wing, in an effort to ignite their backplay. Their line-up features six Lions and a couple of All Blacks, and the Welsh region are on an unbeaten run of 14 Heineken Cup games at the Liberty Stadium since losing to Leicester five seasons ago, in which time they’ve beaten Leicester and Clermont twice apiece.
Ulster have suffered an equally damaging blow with the loss of their Superman, Stephen Ferris, to a knee injury for their trip to Bath so Pedrie Wannenburg switches to the blindside flank, Robbie Diack returns at number eight and Willie Faloon gets another chance to impress.
For Bath, Brock James and Shontayne Hape are fit again.
All in all, today is, by some distance, the most important day of the season so far for the three Irish provinces, and with wounds and grievances still fresh, these back-to-back Heineken Cup matches are such there will be whiffs of cordite in the arctic air.
Ulster are first-up at Bath at 1.30pm, then Munster away to the Ospreys at 3.30pm before Leinster host Clermont at 5.45pm. The Irish triple-header is live on Sky Sports – no red buttons, no interactive bull, just live – and with extended highlights on RTÉ.
A second pool defeat for any of the trio and they will be clinging on by their fingernails, and even though Leinster and Munster went into the weekend top of their pools, with Ulster second, all run the risk of dropping to third.
The problem for all of them is that the same applies, and some, to their opponents, especially as the Ospreys and Bath have already lost two games each, and no team has progressed to the knock-out stages after three pool defeats.
Meanwhile, having erred in sending out a virtual second team in round two away to Racing, and despite next week’s reprise of the last two Top 14 finals at home to Perpignan, Vern Cotter’s virtually unchanged, full-on Clermont selection is a statement of intent.
Leinster coach Joe Schmidt has also recalled Cian Healy and Eoin Reddan, while the jaw injury which O’Driscoll sustained three weeks ago against Argentina has been cleared by his specialist.
We all do fret about the great one, but the constant clucking of mother hens at yesterday’s team announcement as to whether he was fully recovered, or would be wearing any kind of protection, prompted Shane Jennings to beseech: “HE’S FINE. HE’S GRAND. JEEZE!”
Aside from his able young deputy, Eoin O’Malley, having been ruled out with a cracked rib, O’Driscoll’s mere presence will be immense. As Schmidt put it: “Already vocally Brian brings a bit of confidence, brings a bit of steel and experience, and that is a boost to the guys around him. But it would be a discredit to Eoin O’Malley if we weren’t to mention that he did a great job and gave confidence to the players around him; maybe not so much with his experience or his voice, but certainly with his actions last weekend.”
Such is Heaslip’s stature that he will be given until the warm-up to show he has recovered from the sprained ankle he sustained last Sunday, but Schmidt was “quietly confident” the additional 30 hours will be sufficient for him to play.
Aside from being great rugby players, O’Driscoll and Heaslip have freakish recovery powers.
Which is just as well. Nobody will win the Heineken Cup today, but, as elsewhere, this Saturday Night Feva’ in the Aviva is all about Stayin’ Alive.
Heineken Cup Prospects
SATURDAY
POOL TWO: Leinster v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Aviva Stadium (5.45). Overnight snow was forecast, along with a 40 per cent chance of sleet or snow showers during the game, though no wind. But with the Aviva having under-soil heating the game is expected to go ahead.
POOL THREE: Ospreys v Munster, Liberty Stadium (3.30).
Heavy snow yesterday made for a tricky journey off the motorways from Cardiff to Swansea for the Munster squad, but the game is expected to go ahead. The Liberty has under-soil heating. And Romain Poite is the referee.
POOL FOUR: Bath Rugby v Ulster Rugby, The Rec (1.30). The surface at the Rec is notorious as contender for worst pitch in Europe. It is beside the River Avon and does not have under-soil heating.
Bath officials maintain the game will go ahead, though possibly without spectators if approach roads and paths are too dangerous.
