Provincial contrasts in a tale of two cities
Leinster performed with a fluency, skill and command of the game’s basics in the demolition of Bath while Munster rode their luck for the fourth successive match before scraping home against the Scarlets in a game notable for poor passing, handling, kicking and tackling.
If fortune favoured Leinster in their away games at Montpellier and Bath, they were excellent in defeating Glasgow at the RDS before turning on the style against Bath at the Aviva. You could argue the one-time pride of English rugby provided token resistance but Leinster did what they needed to do in an exciting and attractive manner that has installed them as 11/5 favourites to retain the title.
The two grey areas are the second row and centre three-quarter positions. Devin Toner, standing 6 feet 10 inches, has yet show the aggression to augment his formidable physical attributes but is improving. He could yet make a worthy partner for skipper Leo Cullen.
Joe Schmidt will certainly hope so but must also be concerned about midfield now Brian O’Driscoll is out of the equation and Gordon D’Arcy is past his best. It is the perfect opportunity for Fergus McFadden and Eoin O’Malley to step up.
Otherwise, Schmidt has so many riches at his disposal it is becoming difficult for him to figure out his best team. So deep is the talent, Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Shane Jennings and Kieran McLaughlin are struggling for places.
Sexton was voted man of the match on Saturday but his inside partner Eoin Reddan was more deserving. In Rob Kearney, now back to the form that made him a star of the 2009 Lions, Isa Nacewa and Luke Fitzgerald, Leinster have a back three of immense attacking potential well capable of attending their defensive duties.
Leinster will almost certainly play their quarter-final at the Aviva and recent history has proven just how formidable they are there.
Now Munster they have opened up a five-point gap at the top of their pool they look set for at least another four pointer when Castres come calling on the weekend of January 13-15 and a place in the knockout stages. But they may still have to take something from their visit a week later to Northampton to enjoy a home quarter-final.
However, they remain a team in transition unable to put daylight between themselves and the opposition. They give away unnecessary penalties in their own red zone and make too many unforced errors. Tony McGahan readily accepted this at Sunday’s post mortem. And he, too, has yet to figure out his best starting XV.
Donncha O’Callaghan or Donnacha Ryan in the second row and Denis Leamy or Peter O’Mahony at number six remain two of his major dilemmas. Then there’s the midfield attack — or rather the lack of it. Individually, Keith Earls and Lifeimi Mafi had their moments but there was a lack of a cutting edge. You have to doubt whether Will Chambers or Danny Barnes could do a whole lot more.
For now though, McGahan should continue to thank his lucky stars that supposed lesser lights Damien Varley, James Coughlan, Niall Ronan, Denis Hurley and Johne Murphy are still contributing so handsomely. Were it not for injuries to more established stars, only Coughlan would start.
Nevertheless, Munster need their walking wounded back as quickly as possible. Peter O’Mahony will certainly be available for the next round of the Heineken Cup and the hope is Felix Jones will return for the knockout stages. However, there is little confidence in David Wallace and Jerry Flannery to make it back and their absence, combined with Doug Howlett, is being keenly felt.
