Donal Lenihan: Home comfort for Leinster, but bigger questions remain before Toulon
Dan Sheehan was Leinster's outstanding player in their Champions Cup quarter-final victory over Sale. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy
Where would we be without Google Maps. Driving to Dublin for Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter final against Sale Sharks, I was redirected past landmarks I hadn’t seen in years due to the fuel protests at several points on the motorway.
The diversions steered us towards the old main road, reviving images of endless journeys from the distant past. Driving through Cashel, past Pat Fox’s pub and Daverns famous retail shop on Main Street.
Rounding the corner, I’d had forgotten just how spectacular the medieval Rock of Cashel is. From there the road's narrowed through Johnstown and the picturesque village of Durrow before stopping for a break at Morrissey’s iconic pub in Abbeyleix. The memories came flooding back. Let’s just say it was the first time I had a coffee there. Thinking about it, coffee wasn’t even an option the last time I darkened its doors.
The only negative to resurface was the fact, just like back then, it took over four hours to arrive at the Aviva Stadium, or perhaps more fittingly on this occasion, Lansdowne Road.
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In the not too distant past, the buzz and atmosphere surrounding a Heineken/Champions Cup quarter-final would smack you right in the face walking through Ballsbridge. Not anymore. The absence of Leinster fans was surprising. Ten minutes before kickoff you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. The complete absence of any travelling Sale supporters didn’t help either.
That said, none of those factors had any impact on the Leinster side when they took to the field. Even before kickoff off they received a massive boost when the result from Scotstoun filtered through.
The fact Toulon beat favourites Glasgow Warriors 19-22 in a quarter-final that went right to the wire meant Leinster’s reward for a win was a home semi-final instead of having to take on their great Scottish rivals at Murrayfield.
Yet even that boost failed to lift a star-studded Leinster outfit still struggling to play anywhere near the sum of their parts. Playing inferior opposition two weeks in a row, against Edinburgh and Sale respectively, Leo Cullen’s men were far from convincing in the opening half. At least in that round of 16 game against Edinburgh, Leinster’s attacking play was off the charts, registering three tries in the opening quarter and seven in total over the 80 minutes.
The problem for them on that occasion was the porous nature of their defence which saw Edinburgh register five tries, three of which came from intercepts, and 31 points in total. This time out against an under strength Sale side that have only managed to win three of their 12 Gallagher Prem games this season, Leinster laboured their way through an error laden opening half, carrying a narrow 7-3 lead into the dressing room at half-time.
During the break, the stadium announcer kept promoting travel packages to Bilbao for the Champions Cup final next month. If I was Cullen, I’d have throttled him. A big factor in Leinster’s favour that was always going to have an impact on the final result was the callow nature of the Sale bench containing five 20-year-olds.
By comparison Leinster had six internationals, including two Lions with 180 caps between them held in reserve. Not surprisingly that proved the difference over the final half hour. Of concern to Cullen, up to that stage, was a host of handling errors and poor discipline which meant the hosts were still only six points ahead.
It was clear however that Sale were running out of steam and had no choice but to resort to their inexperienced bench. When pitted against the quality Leinster had yet to introduce the outcome was inevitable. Four tries over the closing phase was a clear demonstration of that and Leinster were home and hosed.
Cementing a home Champions Cup semi-final, without playing anywhere near your best in the knockout phase to date, is a situation most sides would relish. While Cullen and Jacques Nienaber have serious issues to address, especially around the scrum, before Toulon arrive in Dublin, they will be buoyed by the performances of several key players hitting their best form at precisely the right time.
Their stand out performer on Saturday was Dan Sheehan who was back to his brilliant best. James Ryan was also outstanding while Ryan Baird in only his second outing since breaking his leg last November, also impressed.
For the second week in a row Harry Byrne’s place kicking was sublime and he has done enough over the course of the last two outings to retain the key out-half role over Sam Prendergast. After missing so much rugby since the Lions tour, Hugo Keenan has also hit the ground running in a revamped back three where All Black Rieko Ioane looks more comfortable on the wing.
With so many key individuals beginning to sparkle at the right time it seems inevitable that, as a collective, Leinster are not that far from clicking. From here on in it’s all about timing for a side more than capable of dealing with the Toulon threat in the semi-final. Manage that and those packages to Bilbao won’t take long to shift.
Ulster’s 41-24 win over La Rochelle in horrific conditions for their Challenge Cup quarter-final in Belfast on Friday night means an Irish double on a huge weekend of cup final action in Bilbao remains a distinct possibility. For that to happen, Ulster will have to navigate their way past a very challenging semi-final at home to Munster’s conquerors Exeter Chiefs.
Unfortunately the prospect of an all Irish Challenge Cup final fell by the wayside when Connacht, chasing a seventh victory in a row for the first time since winning the Guinness PRO12 in the 2015/16, c ame unstuck against an impressive Montpellier side currently sitting fifth in the French Top 14.
The writing was on the wall as early as the opening six minutes when referee Christophe Ridley brandished two yellow cards and a penalty try with Connacht finding it impossible to legally cope with Montpellier’s dynamic line out maul. That said, it’s very unusual for a referee to issue a yellow card on the first maul offence.
The pity was, when in possession, Connacht’s attacking play split open the hosts' defence on several occasions but the concession of a third yellow card against Shayne Bolton on the 27th minute meant Stuart Lancaster’s men were left facing an uphill battle. A final score of 45-22 did scant justice to their efforts over the course of a demanding semi final.
Montpellier looked a superior team to a number of sides that contested the last eight of Champions Cup rugby but that’s the way the tournament has gone. It also means that Connacht are free of distractions as they chase a top eight finish in the URC in order to qualify for the Champions Cup next season, something that may pose more pressure on Munster.
