Leinster knocking on the door with new No. 10

OVER the years, Munster have always had difficulty on the road against Welsh opposition. Given the Ospreys’ lofty position at the top of the Celtic League, yesterday’s duel was always going to be a difficult assignment. And so it proved.

Playing at the Gnoll is like playing on a postage stamp. The claustrophobic atmosphere is geared to intimidate. In the end, Munster's greater experience was responsible for recording a valuable away win.

However, the opening 40 minutes of rugby was the poorest Munster has played for some time. Their performance was characterised by an unusual lack of discipline, which presented the prodigious Gavin Henson with six kickable penalties. Thankfully for Munster, his success ratio of 66% in that period meant Munster reached half-time only three points in arrears. The high penalty count ensured there was little continuity and as a result, despite a large percentage of possession, Munster were unable to exert any control in the first half.

Munster's scrum was greatly improved from last week's performance against Harlequins, handing them a key psychological upper hand in this phase. Without question, the Ospreys should have been reduced to 14 men on a permanent basis when Richard Mustoe stood on the head of Marcus Horan. He escaped with a yellow card. One wonders what you have to do to get sent off these days.

But once more, Munster failed to maximise their scoring opportunities in this period. The ruthlessness that has characterised the side in recent times is lacking. One can only assume with the benefit of more games in the November period that this will be rectified for the vital back-to-back fixtures against Castres in December.

Defensively, the Ospreys took a leaf from the Wasps play-book their rush defence had Munster's midfield under all sorts of pressure. The sin binning of Jim Williams prior to half time also created further problems.

Munster evidently cleared their heads at half-time. On the turnover, they attacked the Ospreys with good effect through their scrum. With Ronan O'Gara's boot orchestrating matters, Munster at last enjoyed sustained periods of pressure in the opposition's 22. From a scrum, Peter Stringer's football brain clicked into action when Shane Williams inexplicably deserted his blind side wing position to cover infield. Stringer extracted the maximum penalty when his blind side break resulted in the only try of the game. It was the vital moment.

Munster's achievement in protecting their narrow two-point lead in the final quarter was monumental. While indiscipline had cost them dearly in the first half, their composure under pressure in the last ten minutes was remarkable. Last year, much was made of their defensive frailties in the knockout stages of the competition. When it mattered most in this contest, Munster's defence was awesome. Castres' draw at Harlequins on Saturday sees Munster topping the table. Their failure to generate any bonus points, however, means that Castres remain only a point behind.

On Saturday, Lansdowne Road hosted another epic Heineken cup battle. Given Treviso's amazing 34 points victory over Bourgoin on Friday, both Leinster and Bath appreciated how vital this clash would be. The pace and intensity was noticeably higher than any of the first round games. Bath were up for this one, thus Leinster's victory and the manner of it was a notable marker on the competition. Serious questions were asked of Leinster, which they answered emphatically. Over the past number of seasons, they have struggled badly at No 10 but New Zealander David Holwell displayed a calmness and assurance in the position that will thrill Declan Kidney.

Bath, not surprisingly, given their Australian coaching duo of John Connolly and Michael Foley, tend to play by numbers going through multi phases. Under Matt Williams, Leinster's defence was superbly organised. Sadly, in the Gary Ella era last season, defensive frailties cost them dearly. Defence is a demonstration of the collective will within a team. On the evidence of the five minutes before half time, Kidney has managed to restore that will. Leinster defended as if their very lives depended upon it, and it was ultimately decisive. That, and the brilliance of Brian O'Driscoll.

Bath made a fatal error in the early minutes of the second half in substituting veteran hooker Jonathan Humphries. He is the heartbeat of the pack. His leadership and lineout throwing were top class. Both faltered after his departure.

The other key was the incorrect awarding of Gordon D'Arcy's try in the corner. Television evidence suggested he failed to control the ball when grounding. That corner has been kind to the Leinster midfield duo, given that O'Driscoll was famously awarded a similar score against France a few seasons ago despite evidence to the contrary. But D'Arcy's luck ran out when he sustained a nasty groin injury. While Leinster face difficult back-to-back assignments against Bourgoin, the fact that the French side are out of contention must increase the odds of qualification. Going on Saturday's performance, Leinster will have a serious impact on the destiny of this year's trophy.