Leinster chase the one that got away

Departing coach Joe Schmidt hopes to sign off by ending losing streak in RaboDirect Pro12 deciders

The Celtic League has always suffered from the perception that it is a distant second-best to a Heineken Cup, but emotions are sure to run high at the RDS this evening regardless of the result once Leinster and Ulster are done with each other in the RaboDirect Pro12 final.

The tragic loss of 22-year-old Nevin Spence last September has echoed through the northern province’s season and should they claim a first trophy in seven years it would be a fitting tribute to their lost friend and colleague whose initials are stitched onto each jersey worn by Ulster this season.

Leinster, too, will have reasons beyond the usual to clinch the honours, with Joe Schmidt bringing his three years in charge to an end and Jonathan Sexton and Isa Nacewa parting company with a club which they love and one which has reciprocated those feelings.

“Yeah, I must be getting old fast because it seems that the three years have flown by and there’s definitely a little bit of nostalgia, looking back over those three years,” said Schmidt when asked to reflect yesterday. “You try not to get affected by that because the job in front of your face is the one you need to get right.

“That, thankfully, has occupied the bulk of my time this week. There hasn’t been a lot of time for anything else. We know that Ulster have had a 15-day preparation, we’ve had sort of seven days, six days post-recovery, to try to get everything organised and when you feel a little bit of time pressure you have to be fully focused on that.”

Schmidt’s European achievements are well-known with the club but so, too, is his side’s failure to accompany that with ‘domestic’ success this last three seasons and the desire to halt a hat-trick run of final defeats must be incalculable, with the loss to Ospreys in Dublin 12 months ago a particular cause for regret.

“Yeah, I was incredibly frustrated last year,” said the Kiwi ahead of his last game in charge. “We were nine points up with eight minutes to go and it was our scrum feed. I’ve relived that a lot of times, as no doubt have the referee assessors, but I have massive frustration that has carried over from that game.

“Munster were better than us in Thomond Park [in 2011]. They absolutely deserved it and the Ospreys were incredibly good as well. It didn’t stop Shane Williams getting in in the corner and Dan Biggar, as he tended to do all season against us, nailing the sideline conversion.

“So watching those was incredibly disappointing. But we’re forward thinking, we’re looking ahead to this one. It’s a game alone. We don’t really think in terms of the history of finals. While they may be written about it’s not something that we think about.”

Schmidt may be focused entirely on today’s encounter, but he would not be human if he didn’t find himself stepping back and examining the encounter whilst wearing his Ireland hat — and the national picture to this provincial derby merits some examination.

With two Irish sides competing, the day is already something of a win-win for rugby in this country, but it would hardly be unfair to suggest that a victory for Ulster would benefit the national 15 that much more.

Leinster, after all, are established as one of Europe’s best sides and are stocked with experienced internationals who already possess significant silverware. Ulster are younger — their 15’s average age today is 25.6 against 27.2 — and they could badly do with converting their undoubted potential into something more concrete.

Only Rory Best, Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe among their Irish players have previous experience of what it is to win a title with their club and that was the old Celtic League pocketed by pipping Leinster in the old table back in 2006.

Not that Schmidt will be thinking that way today.

“It will be incredibly satisfying if it comes off. Even being here I’ve got to say is satisfying. In three years we’ve played 99 competitive games, that’s all we can do. We haven’t won the final one on all the occasions that we would have liked to have, but there’s a lot of people on holidays who would love to be playing right now.”