Munster must make it hell for Saints
In total, 16 teams still harbour mathematical ambitions of qualification for either the Heineken Cup or a back door entrance to the Amlin Challenge Cup in April. That is what differentiates European club fare from everything else.
As things stand, Munster and Leinster enjoy privileged status as number one and two seeds respectively going into this weekend’s action. Bonus point wins for both would cement those positions, giving them 25 points with the top seeding then to be decided firstly on total tries scored (19-18 in Munster’s favour at present) or points differential. Leinster currently shade that on +94 to Munster’s +88.
Either way, Tony McGahan and Michael Cheika would be more than happy to settle for a home quarter-final, regardless of final seeding, something Leinster have surprisingly failed to achieve in Cheika’s five year reign.
On Friday night, Thomond Park once again hosts a final day showdown against English Premiership opposition – the fifth such occasion in eight years. Leicester apart, all have been memorable outings. Psychologically, Northampton’s bonus point fourth try in the 82nd minute against Perpignan last Sunday will help their approach as it offers them a lifeline should they finish within seven points of Munster. Nineteen points should be sufficient to see them secure one of the best runners up slots and that will give them an additional incentive over the course of the 80 minutes.
Having beaten Munster in their only two previous Heineken Cup encounters, they will travel with confidence and are in a rich vein of form, having won their last 10 competitive outings. The Saints’ front five will also be appreciably stronger than last weekend with the likely return of promising second row Courtney Lawes and Lions tight head prop, Euan Murray.
Lawes will relish the prospect of going up against such established international second rows as Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan. He is at the same stage of development as the fledgling Munster pairing that took on Martin Johnson and Ben Kay in Welford Road seven years ago. There is a possibility that Northampton will play Lawes in the back row and retain the second row pairing of former Argentine tormenter Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe and Juandre Kruger from last Sunday in an effort to put their most physically imposing pack on the field.
Murray, who because of his Christian beliefs has decided not to play on Sundays, missed the game against Perpignan and is also set to sit out Scotland’s Six Nations opener against France in Murrayfield for the same reason. Northampton will look to him for a big scrummaging performance where he will once again go head to head with Wian du Preez. The duo locked shoulders last June when the Lions narrowly defeated the Free State Cheetahs by 26-24 in Bloemfontein. It will be du Preez’s last game for Munster before heading back home. Under those circumstances Marcus Horan’s return to action for Shannon last weekend could not have been better timed. The South African has made an invaluable contribution to the Munster cause in Horan’s absence and it would be great for him to return home on the back of one of those special Heineken Cup nights in Limerick.
Munster have rediscovered their try-scoring touch in Europe with 10 in their last two outings, both on the road. In Northampton they face a side with huge attacking potential of their own with the back three of Bruce Reihana, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden a constant threat. Foden is the darling of the Sky Sports pundits at the moment and is a mercurial broken field runner with a telepathic understanding with Ashton. Ashton, a convert from rugby league, is scoring tries for fun. If he survives the Thomond experience with greater assurance than former league convert Henry Paul did a few years ago, he could find himself winning a first English cap in a few weeks time.
Having flirted between scrum half and full back for some time now, Foden has finally made a home for himself in the No. 15 jersey.
Playing full back in Thomond Park requires a solid grasp of the basics under the high ball. Foden is not the biggest full back in the world and this is an area that Munster should seek to exploit with the towering presence of Denis Hurley and Jean De Villiers bearing down on another England hopeful.
The other player Munster must hone in on is Shane Geraghty who was offered far too much freedom in the opening encounter in Franklin’s Gardens. He can be rattled. In that game Northampton brought a physical intensity that unsettled a Munster forward unit severely lacking in game time with several of the forwards having only two or three games under their belt in months. On this occasion, Paul O’Connell’s charges are far more battle-hardened up front and must seek to cool the courage of the visiting pack
early on. The back row will also have to keep a close eye on Lee Dickson who is out of the Matt Dawson school of tap and go scrum halves.
A Munster win will go down well in the Leinster camp as it will guarantee their qualification as one of the two best runners-up even before they take the field at Twickenham on Saturday. However, should Munster lose without a bonus point, they will need Leinster to at least draw in order to qualify. As reigning champions,
Leinster will want to finish the pool stage with the win that will see them back in the RDS in the quarter-finals.
London Irish are still an inexperienced side in a European context, despite making the semi-final two seasons ago and their lack of composure when chasing that fourth try in the second half against the Scarlets last Sunday will haunt them. The failure to get even a losing bonus point has now left them with the very difficult task of scoring at least four tries against one of the meanest defences in the tournament. For them to top this pool now would require a performance and a result akin to what Munster achieved against Gloucester back in 2003.
What Leinster need to do is make sure London Irish get nothing from the opening quarter of this game. An early try would do wonders for the Exiles confidence. On that basis, it’s vital Leinster play territory early on and frustrate their hosts. The breakdown was a real problem for them in the opening game at the RDS with Steffon Armitage creating havoc – helped in no small way by lenient French referee, Romain Poite, who incidentally is in charge in Limerick on Friday.
Leinster with Jamie Heaslip in outstanding form at the moment have improved their work at the breakdown immeasurably since that opening game and must not allow Bob Casey’s men to slow down the quality of ball available to Eoin Reddan which they succeeded in doing last October.
The line out will crucial in this contest with Casey and Nick Kennedy a constant thorn on the opposition throw. If Leinster can control possession then they have the experience and game management skills to frustrate a desperate and frustrated home team.
It is also a huge weekend for Ronan O’Gara and Jonny Sexton as Declan Kidney runs the rule over both for the last time before announcing the Irish team for the opening game of the championship in two weeks time.
O’Gara was outstanding last weekend and in my book is in pole position at this stage to start against Italy.
However, that’s a debate for another day.
