Are Leicester really that good?
Incredibly the tournament had a different winner in its opening six years with Toulouse, Brive, Bath, Ulster, Northampton and Leicester all tasting success. But since that inaugural Tigers win in 2001, the competition has become the preserve of a quartet of European giants in Leicester, Wasps, Toulouse and Munster.
Leinster now have the opportunity of disrupting that monopoly for the first time in nine seasons. Saturday’s final game in Edinburgh is simply the biggest game in the history of the province.
Watching the final of the Guinness Premiership last Saturday between Leicester and London Irish, I was reminded of Ronan O’Gara’s comments before Munster played the Tigers in the opening defence of their Heineken Cup crown at Welford Road in 2006 when he ventured to suggest that the quality of England’s domestic league was overrated. I agreed with his view at the time and on the evidence of last Saturday’s finale, the same thought came to mind.
Leicester are an outstanding club and their roll of honours in this decade alone ensures they command nothing but respect. That said, if Leinster approach this final with their heads in the right place, then they are more than capable of winning. This current Leicester side is strong in all areas but Leinster have more game breakers behind the scrum, especially now that former All Black Aaron Mauger has been ruled out.
Leinster succeeded in dumping Munster out of the tournament in the semi-final primarily because they were driven by a fear of failure. They were not prepared to be subjected to ridicule anymore and were so motivated to give everything they had that they displayed a level of physical commitment and desire that had rarely been seen before. In many respects, that game against Munster was the perfect dress rehearsal for Saturday’s final as Leicester are similar to Munster in that they like to boss teams up front and play with massive physicality at the breakdown.
Leo Cullen’s side showed in Croke Park they can live with that level of attrition when they are mentally switched on. That is why Cullen and Shane Jennings have such a vital role to play in the build up to this game. There are times when the challenger assumes that champion teams are better than they really are, based more on reputation and history. This Leicester team is a case in point. I don’t think they’re as rounded a team as the one that Martin Johnson captained to back-to-back Heineken Cups in 2001 and 2002. Leinster must not make the mistake of respecting them too much. Having been part of the squad that lost the final two years ago, Cullen and Jennings will know exactly what makes them tick – but equally what upsets them and what causes them to make mistakes.
The one advantage that the Tigers do have is experience of competing in finals. Last Saturday marked their fifth consecutive Premiership showdown and they have also experienced a number of other high-octane occasions in recent seasons, including Heineken Cup and EDF Energy judgment days. That experience certainly played a part in defeating London Irish when they displayed cussed resistance on a day when they were well below their best. For that reason, they are very hard to beat.
The key player from Leinster’s point of view on Saturday will be Jonathan Sexton. Unquestionably his best performances in key games this season have been when he was introduced off the bench in the Heineken Cup against Wasps at the RDS and Munster in Croke Park. This contest now presents the biggest challenge of his career and will have a big bearing on just how quickly he will be elevated into Ireland’s plans. At least he has known for three weeks that he will be starting and will be encouraged by the form he displayed in the last Magners League game against the Scarlets. He will be targeted by Leicester and must retain his composure.
His opposite number Sam Vesty is not an out half by trade and only plays in the pivotal role because of injury to Toby Flood. The loss of Mauger outside him is a big blow in those circumstances and one that Leinster must exploit. They have a big advantage in midfield where the in-form partnership of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy have a distinct edge over Ayoola Erinle and Dan Hipkiss. They must however be given the platform to exploit that advantage.
It will be interesting to see if the Leinster following will be able to dominate Murrayfield to the extent that Munster infiltrated the Millennium Stadium over the years and add that little edge that matters on the big day. Munster have always received a psychological boost when the two teams emerge side by side from the sanctuary of the dressing rooms and walk out the tunnel.
Every little thing counts and Leinster were certainly energised by the masses of blue flags and jerseys in Croke Park. If Leinster get their mental preparation right and continue to display the defensive excellence that has characterised their performances in the knockout stages, then they have every chance of making history. At least destiny is in their hands.
With the British and Irish Lions now already in camp and preparing for their epic tour, Ian McGeechan will be disappointed that the Natal Sharks failed to make the Super 14 semi-finals along with fellow South African side the Blue Bulls last weekend.
The fact that the Bulls also topped the table is a major advantage as it means their semi-final and possible final will be on home soil in Loftus Versfeld. Geech would have been far happier to see them being forced to travel to New Zealand for another gruelling flight before the test series. A win in the final in Pretoria on the very day that the Lions play their tour opener on Saturday week would offer a timely psychological boost for the hosts. Before that, however, the Bulls must negotiate the threat posed by Richie McCaw’s Crusaders side in that semi-final next Saturday. At least the Lions will get an early indication of what they face.
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