Leo Cullen needs time while Leinster leaders must step up
For anyone who had just spent the previous two years living in Paris, the horrific events of last Friday night must have taken an emotional toll. Sexton’s son Luca was born in the French capital and his thoughts must have extended to all involved in Racing 92’s playing, coaching and administrative staff when details of the series of terrorist attacks came to light.
The first people I thought of were the O’Garas, Ronan, his wife Jessie, and their five young kids. Thankfully, ROG’s tweet on Saturday reassured everyone he and his family were all safe. One can only speculate just how difficult it was for the French clubs who went ahead with their respective fixtures in the Champions and Challenge Cups played outside of France last Saturday.
Former European kingpins Toulouse were so far off the pace in their game against an admittedly excellent Saracens side that, while they were physically committed to the task at hand, mentally they looked miles off the pace. Who could blame them?
Whatever about the mitigating circumstances that may or may not have contributed to a muted performance from Sexton, in his first European outing for Leinster since his return, his teammates had no such excuse.
Already the knives are being sharpened for Leo Cullen and his coaching team but having directed their wrath at former coach Matt O’Connor for the entirety of last season, the Leinster faithful need to give Cullen the time and space needed to make his mark at this level. I was impressed by the calm and dignified manner with which he handled himself in the immediate aftermath of his first ever Champions Cup game as head coach.
Leinster were beaten in so many areas of the field it is difficult to know where to start. Their set piece, especially the scrum, came under enormous pressure from a Wasps unit not known for their dominance in that area. In addition they were short highly rated Italian international tight head prop Lorenzo Cittadini who was suspended.
Leinster fielded two complete Irish international front rows, all six of whom saw game time at the World Cup. In fact 15 of the 22 players used by Leinster on Sunday played at the recent global event.
How then did they contrive to lose by a record margin to a Wasps side with only three players who shared that experience, the second row pairing of Joe Launchbury and Bradley Davies along with reserve Scottish out-half Ruaridh Jackson.
Without question, part of the reason was Wasps had far more time to prepare as a unit, while Cullen has only been able to drip feed his World Cup players back into competitive action with the province over the last fortnight. That is only part of the story however.
As a collective Wasps were far hungrier, more committed, and won all the major collisions. Leinster started reasonably well but appeared to fall apart after Sean O’Brien was forced off at half-time. Given the quality and experience of players they had on boards, that just should not happen. It is also concerning O’Brien, Mike McCarthy and Richardt Strauss all fell victim to suspected concussions.
Wasps are a vastly improved side to the one that only lost by five points in the same fixture last year and drew in the return leg at the Ricoh Arena. Dai Young has assembled a very good mix of talented young All Blacks in Charles Piatau and Frank Halai, supplemented by experienced internationals like Wallaby great George Smith.
Leinster will improve and the availability of Luke Fitzgerald, Isa Nacewa and Ben Te’o should lead to a more potent showing from their three quarters. That said, one of the younger brigade in Noel Reid should not be used as a scapegoat for this defeat. He is a fine player with a good step, good pace and an impressive range of passing skills. Largely ignored in the previous regime, he deserves the chance to make his mark even if the defensive side of his game still needs refinement.
No matter how talented a team is, their ability to win is still dictated by the hunger and desire they bring to the contest. Several of the Leinster players need to look at themselves this week, before apportioning any blame on Cullen or his lieutenants, and ask what more they could have brought to the cause last weekend. If they don’t address that issue first and foremost, then they will be in for another long day against Bath at the Rec on Saturday.
Munster would have faced an entirely different challenge to the one they experienced against Treviso if Sunday’s game against Stade had gone ahead.
Last weekend’s opener was just about as awkward as you could face in the knowledge that everyone was expecting a bonus point win against the lowest ranked side in the tournament but in conditions that made the game very difficult.
The fact that Munster passed that test reasonably well in the circumstances sets them up nicely for the challenge ahead.
The timing of their rescheduled visit to Paris will determine what challenge they face at the revamped home of French champions who will feel on obligation on a number of fronts to perform in this contest, not least to keep their Champions Cup aspirations alive.
Understandably question marks hung over the fixture all week given that the Stade Jean Bouin is situated in the heart of the city. The battle that took place for control of the European club game 18 months ago which led to the dissolution of the Dublin-based ERC in favour of the new EPCR set up in Neuchatel, Switzerland has left the fledgling organisation with a big challenge in dealing with the fallout from last weekend’s cancelled fixtures in an already crowded schedule due to the World Cup.
In the circumstances it was extremely disappointing to see a member of the new board, Bath owner Bruce Craig, come out immediately and state that his club’s cancelled fixture with Toulon cannot be rearranged.
At least he should have had the decency to keep his counsel until the board meeting, given the pressure the tragic events of last weekend has placed on the new organisation. Also his brief on the board extends way beyond the specific requirements of his own club.
In addition, Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal’s suggestion that the game be rescheduled during the Six Nations championship and that his players be made available to the club is another ill-timed effort by him to undermine the international game.
Given the circumstances that led to the postponement in the first place that is very disappointing.
The recent World Cup may have been a brilliant spectacle but there are vested interests out there intent on diluting the international game, outside of the major tournaments, as has already happened with soccer. Using the horrific events of last weekend to argue their case is disrespectful to say the least.
