Injury victims back for vital clash
Those are the chief talking points arising out of yesterday’s announcement of the teams for today’s eagerly awaited Celtic League clash of Leinster and Munster at the RDS (kick-off 1pm).
The significance being attributed to the game by the rival coaches Michael Cheika and Declan Kidney is best demonstrated by the decision to start long-term injury victims O’Driscoll and O’Connell after both had played bit parts earlier in the week against Ulster and Connacht.
On reflection, it was something of a no-brainer for Cheika given that a place was always waiting for O’Driscoll, but the opposite was the case for Kidney because the recall of O’Connell meant the omission of either Donncha O’Callaghan or Mick O’Driscoll, both of whom have been outstanding all season.
On this occasion, O’Callaghan is the one to drop out.
O’Driscoll will also captain the Leinster side that sees the return of Shane Horgan on the wing and Reggie Corrigan at prop after both had missed out on the Ulster game. New Zealander Cameron Jowitt is preferred to Eric Miller at number six while Kieran Lewis plays on the left wing in the absence of the injured Robert Kearney, all of which paves the way for a spot among the replacements for Denis Hickie, who has made a quicker than expected recovery from a serious leg injury.
The preference for O’Connell over O’Callaghan is far from the only major topic of conversation in the Munster selection. John Hayes is relegated to the reserves bench in spite of being lauded by O’Connell for his contribution to the victory over Connacht, especially for the “lift” he received from the big Cappamore man that enabled him to go over for a try at a crucial period of the second half.
The Argentinian-born Italian international Federico Pucciarello is given the nod ahead of Hayes, a thank you at least in part for his well-taken last minute try that clinched a bonus point against Connacht, while Barry Murphy takes over from Trevor Halstead in the centre.
Elsewhere, Mike Prendergast is the replacement scrum-half because Tomas O’Leary is ill.
Nevertheless, with the exception of Munster’s long-term injury victims Christian Cullen, Mike Mullins and Alan Quinlan, the coaches had a full deck from which to choose and accordingly the victorious side will enjoy bragging rights without reservation for some time to come.
One thing is for sure - neither team will come near the five-try, 33-9 romp by which Munster strolled to victory when they met at Musgrave Park in October. O’Driscoll was missing that day as were a few other key men and Leinster at times became so rattled that their captain Felipe Contepomi complained that Munster players indulged in “sledging” as he prepared to take a kick at goal.
That incident underlined the kind of “needle” that exists between the teams and which will again be a central part of today’s proceedings. It could all mean a difficult assignment for Ulster referee Alistair McKay and his touch judges Simon McDowell and Marshall Kilgore, as the sides use their experience of each other in trying on the many tricks they have built up over the years and the rival packs throw themselves into what is sure to be a bruising encounter up front.
While Munster will be expected to enjoy an edge in the forward exchanges, they will almost certainly need it given the potential of the Leinster back line.
True, Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer have long been regarded as Ireland’s first choice half-backs but as against that, Guy Easterby is Stringer’s well established understudy at the base of the scrum and Felipe Contepomi enjoys a world-class reputation in his out-half/centre role with his native Argentina. With O’Driscoll back to full fitness and Gordon D’Arcy showing every sign of a return to the form that made him player of the year in 2003/04, Leinster will expect to more than just shade the midfield contest, all the more so as full-back Girvan Dempsey has been playing arguably the best rugby of his career.
In the final analysis, though, it could all boil down to the side that wants it more. Tradition suggests Munster are never found wanting in this regard and that Leinster have all too often been found wanting when the pressure was at its greatest. However, the manner in which Leinster came out of Ravenhill on Monday night with a highly meritorious 25-19 win over Ulster suggests this current side is made of the right stuff and that is why they may well emerge with the majority of the points at stake this afternoon, not to mention the kind of result which would end their year on the most pleasurable note imaginable.
Leinster are predicting the Celtic League attendance record of 12,436 is likely to be smashed this afternoon. The previous best was set on Tuesday when the Cardiff Blues defeated the Newport Gwent Dragons and this beat the previous high set the night before when Leinster defeated Ulster in Ravenhill in front of 12,300 people.
A minute’s silence will be observed before the kick-off in memory of the late Des O’Brien, a member of the Ireland Grand Slam side in 1948.
: G. Dempsey; S. Horgan, B. O’Driscoll capt, G. D’Arcy, K. Lewis; F. Contepomi, G. Easterby; R. Corrigan, B. Blaney, W. Green, M. O’Kelly, B. Williams, C. Jowitt, K. Gleeson, J. Heaslip. Replacements: R. McCormack, D. Blaney, A. Byrnes, E. Miller; B. O’Riordan, J. Hepworth, D. Hickie.
: S. Payne; J. Kelly, B. Murphy, G. Connolly, A. Horgan; R. O’Gara, P. Stringer; M. Horan, J. Flannery, F. Pucciarello, M. O’Driscoll, P. O’Connell, D. Leamy, D. Wallace, A. Foley capt. Replacements: J. Hayes, D. Fogarty, T. Hogan, D. O’Callaghan; M. Prendergast, J. Manning, T. Halstead.Referee: A. McKay (Ulster).
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