Old rivalries bring out the best

The Aviva Stadium is set to rock for the first time this season on Saturday night with the arrival of a new-look Munster side for the first of their seasonal encounters with Leinster in the RaboDirect Pro 12.

Wed, 03 Oct, 2012 - 01:00

Donal Lenihan

A rugby player, coach and manager during a glittering career with Munster, Ireland and the Lions and now a definitive voice in Irish rugby analysis and commentary.

With this clash of age-old rivals leading perfectly to the opening round of the Heineken Cup the following week, the new rugby season is about to take off in earnest.

If Saturday’s game is anything like the opening Irish derby of the season when Munster travelled to Ravenhill a few weeks ago to face Ulster, then we could be in for another cracker. That game offered the opportunity for a direct comparison between the influence being exerted by the respective new coaches in each province, former New Zealand domestic coaching rivals Rob Penney and Mark Anscombe. Both have already found favour with the playing squads and are having an immediate impact on the way that their respective sides are going about their business.