Celtic League deserves more respect, says Contepomi
With Leinster’s European campaign coming to a halt at the group stages last January, the province’s season will be judged as a failure by many rugby fans, regardless of what happens between now and the seasons’ end.
Having missed out on the Celtic League title on the last day of the last two seasons, Michael Cheika’s side are now in the box seat to make it third time lucky.
They are currently leading the table by eight points with six games to play. The first of those is tonight at the RDS (7.30pm), where they will look to avenge defeat at the hands of the Glasgow Warriors in Firhill late last year.
“Here in Ireland, it is funny sometimes the way some people see the Heineken Cup as the only tournament of importance,” said Contepomi. “Elsewhere in Europe, it is very important to do well in the league.
“At the start of the year, when you set out your goals, one of them is to compete for the league. At least that is how we see it in Leinster. We are out of the Heineken Cup but that is life. So many good teams are out of the Heineken Cup.
“You take Stade Francais, you take Leicester. For them, the season is nowhere near finished and we need to approach it in the same way.”
First contested in the 2001-02 season, the nascent league wasn’t helped by the fact that it took five years for the Irish cider company to become its first sponsor, but Contepomi is a paid-up member of the competition’s fan club.
“The Magners League has been improving every year. It has now perhaps the most potential of any tournament in the northern hemisphere in terms of growth and how good the teams are. There is no relegation, so they play good rugby.
“I played in the (English) Premiership and sometimes it was just a case of playing to win and there was no good rugby or development. The Magners League has potential and is getting better.
“Anyone can beat anyone in this league. That doesn’t happen in the French tournament. You hardly see Albi beating Stade Francais in Stade Francais but that happens here. Glasgow can come to Dublin and beat you, so you have to have the proper frame of mind.”
The odds of the Scots causing an upset appear to be quite long tonight. Leinster have won their last seven league games and have suffered just one home defeat in their last 29 games in all competitions.
Glasgow did end a four-game losing streak against the Ospreys in their previous match but their only away win in their last nine attempts was in Viadana in the Heineken Cup last January.
With three weeks having passed since the last round of league fixtures, form may be more fickle than at other points in the calendar. Yet, Leinster will be eager to get a run of six games in seven weeks off on the right foot after the interruption caused by the Six Nations.
“It is easier from a player’s point of view to have something to train for at the weekend,” said Contepomi.
“The Six Nations is hard for the Irish provinces. There is too much going on and you don’t see the international players for nine weeks.
“But you still have to build up for what is probably the most important part of the season. Maybe we have failed to do it as good as we could the last few years. I would like to think that, this year, we have used the time wisely.”
Though most of their Six Nations representatives returned to the squad this week, Michael Cheika will have to do without the services of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy for a while longer as his two centres continue their rehabilitation after injury.
Contepomi accepts that their loss will be felt tonight but prefers to look on their absence from a “glass half-full” perspective.
“You are talking about two of the best centres in the world. Simple as that. If you don’t have Drico and D’Arce, everyone will suffer but I would put it another way. I would say it is an opportunity for others.
“People said Ireland suffered at international level but you still came out with Rob and Luke and showing that they can do it at international level. You have to see it as an opportunity rather than a problem.”
LEINSTER: R Kearney; S Horgan, C Warner, M Berne, L Fitzgerald; F Contepomi, C Whitaker; O le Roux, B Jackman, S Wright; L Cullen (capt), M O’Kelly; S Jennings, K Gleeson, J Heaslip.
Replacements: B Blaney, C Healy/S Knoop, T Hogan, S Keogh/C Jowitt, C Keane, J Sexton, G Brown.
GLASGOW: B Stortoni; L Fa’atau, G Morrison, D Gibson (capt), T Evans; C Gregor, S Pinder; E Kalman, D Hall, M Low; A Newman, D Turner; J Eddie, D MacFadyen, J Beattie.
Replacements: E Milligan, J Va’a, O Palepoi, R Vernon, R Jackson, S Barrow, H O’Hare.
Referee: Hugh Watkins (WRU).
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