Euro vision still within sight

ANOTHER Irish clean sweep sees all four provinces still alive across the two European competitions.

Ulster are the only side where progress to the quarter-finals is dependent on results elsewhere and the odds are very much stacked against them.

Connacht have already qualified in the Amlin Challenge Cup and a win over Madrid next weekend will secure home advantage.

For Munster and Leinster, victory in their final pool games guarantees a home quarter-final while at worst they could progress as best runners-up.

As anticipated from the outset both face massive showdowns against Guinness Premiership sides Northampton and London Irish respectively.

The latter’s shock defeat to the Scarlets yesterday without a losing bonus point has opened a range of permutations across five of the six pools with a number of teams now hanging tentatively to hopes of qualifying as best runners-up.

Northampton’s last-ditch try which gave them a bonus point win by 34-0 against a severely under-strength Perpignan means that the final qualification slot as second-best runner-up could come down to the number of tries scored or points differential.

At this juncture Biarritz and Toulouse are the only teams that have mathematically qualified for the knock-out stages which means that there will be so much for a range of teams to play for right up to the final whistle next weekend.

Both Munster and Leinster are in a very strong position. So much for the concerns that a lack of recent game time and on-field preparation would leave Munster vulnerable and off the pace for their potential banana skin clash with Benetton Treviso.

What transpired in the opening half was a joy to watch as Paul O’Connell’s side produced a feast of attacking rugby orchestrated magnificently by Ronan O’Gara. They looked refreshed and sharp after their weather induced break with several players clearly relishing the opportunity to pass and run on an inviting dry sod.

From the outset Munster set out their stall with the collective desire of the back three of Doug Howlett, Paul Warwick and Denis Hurley to counter-attack at every opportunity. Never did such a brave and adventurous approach pay such immediate dividends.

It is a rare occurrence in Heineken Cup rugby that a game is decided as early as this one, especially by the team playing away from home but that is what happened. When Donncha O’Callaghan, who had a smashing game, touched down under the posts for Munster’s third try after 11 minutes this contest was over. After that it was inevitable the visitors would deliver a four-try bonus point and that was also in the bag before half time.

TREVISO are normally a gritty and determined outfit who specialise in making life difficult for all opposition who come calling on a European stage. With eight of the Italian Six Nations squad and national coach Nick Mallet in the stand, half of the Treviso pack fancied their chances of game time in Croke Park against Ireland next month.

Was it any wonder Mallet looked so frustrated at the end? Munster monopolised possession to such a degree that it took Treviso 27 minutes to win a line out. When they did have possession it was a liability. In contrast to Munster they looked decidedly uncomfortable with ball in hand.

After half time the game almost became an irrelevance as already thoughts of Northampton came into focus. Despite the inevitable fall off in the second half, Tony McGahan can take much from this performance and will be thrilled that Munster have rediscovered their verve and assurance in attack, albeit against a porous home defence. The Saints will hardly be as accommodating.

The most impressive aspect of this performance was the options available to the player in possession once a line break was created. Support was always available on the right and left shoulder of the ball carrier which offered a variety of options. Munster’s off-loading and passing under pressure was very effective.

The latest midfield combination of Jean de Villiers and Keith Earls, while still a work in progress, shows signs of rich promise and will be retained as a unit for Friday night.

David Wallace also made a massive contribution from No. 8 helped by a solid scrummaging platform which withstood the best that Treviso could muster. He was missed after his departure after the break.

The form of the less experienced Heineken Cup campaigners was also very encouraging with Denis Fogarty, Niall Ronan, Denis Hurley, James Coughlan and Damien Varley on their introduction all making a statement.

Munster have the advantage of an extra day’s recovery over Northampton who only have a tight five-day turnaround, one of which is a travel day. Munster were safely tucked up home in their own beds on Saturday night while their counterparts still had that demanding obstacle against Perpignan to negotiate. Small things matter.

LEINSTER, with two games postponed over the Christmas period, were always more likely to be more susceptible to ring rustiness than Munster and so it proved. To their credit Brive, with nothing tangible to play for, were highly competitive and made their hosts work harder than they might have anticipated. Yet they still emerged with a maximum return of five points.

Brian O’Driscoll’s majestic try which secured the bonus point with the very last play of the match could prove vital as it looks certain to deliver one of the two best runners up slots if they succumb to defeat in Twickenham.

In some respects the combative nature of this game could prove more beneficial to Leinster than Munster’s stroll in the park in northern Italy. Brive’s defence was of a far higher quality than Treviso and put Leinster’s famed midfield under constant pressure. Leinster’s lineout also experienced the wobbles at times and this is an area Michael Cheika will have to address as London Irish are highly competitive in that phase.

All in all, results right across Europe could not have been better from an Irish perspective.

Next weekend should prove even more rewarding.