Munster’s need is greater
Paul O’Connell will sit this one out with a groin injury in the hope of being fully fit for tomorrow week’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Northampton. Keith Earls is ruled out for the same reason but with Brian O’Driscoll and Cian Healy among those out of the starting Leinster side, things are more or less evened out.
Munster welcome back Jerry Flannery for his first game after a six week suspension and Tomás O’Leary, John Hayes and David Wallace return from Six Nations duty having been rested for last week’s impressive 27-19 win over Glasgow.
Donncha O’Callaghan, however, did play a significant part in that game and is now looking forward to another big result against the team’s greatest rivals.
“Local derbies have that extra edge and this one has that and a little more,” said O’Callaghan, who plays his 160th game for Munster. “It’s Cork and Kerry or United and City. It’s the game you want to win. It doesn’t matter what competition it is, Magners or Heineken, this sort of game is right up there with internationals in terms of physicality and intensity.
“But these are the type of games that running around in the freezing wind, sleet and rain like we had in Clanwilliam on Tuesday are all about. The absence of Paul O’Connell and Keith Earls is a blow, no doubt about that, but they’re missing Drico (Brian O’Driscoll). We’d have full confidence in the side selected. We know what we have to do. This is about who’s on the pitch, not who’s not.”
His out-half Ronan O’Gara concurs: “I’ve been playing against Leinster sides for 13 years now, and it’s always a full-on game so our defence needs to be resilient.
“We’re building game on game. The focus this week has been squarely on Leinster. After that we’ll be putting all our energy and focus into the Northampton quarter-final. That game is vital, there will be no second chances after that knock-out game.
“People can talk up the out-half and open-side battle as much as they want – whatever – but what it boils down to is a team performance. It is not individual performances that win games, but the collective performance of the team. That’s what’s important,” O’Gara wrote on his www.ronanogara.com website yesterday.
“I’ve got huge respect for Leinster, I’ve been playing them for 13 years and the respect between the teams has grown year on year.”
A major talking point in the Leinster line-up is the selection of Scotland’s Nathan Hines, normally a second-row, in the number six jersey. The blind side flank has become a problem position for coach Michael Cheika because of the injuries to Sean O’Brien and Kevin McLaughlin. Hines will obviously be considered for that berth in next week’s Heineken Cup meeting with Clermont Auvergne while the 6 ft 10 inch Devin Toner has been given a chance to stake a claim for a second-row place ahead of Malcolm O’Kelly.
Interestingly, too, there isn’t a spot even on the bench for Mike Ross, who many believe has the potential to take over, sooner or later, from John Hayes in the Irish tight-head position.
However, such considerations will be put to one side for this game with Leinster captain Leo Cullen only too well aware that his side must step up on the form displayed in last week’s fortunate victory over Connacht.
“We got out of jail and the players know that we will have to improve this week because we’re coming up against an in-form Munster team,” he said. “There’s always added spice when you come up against colleagues from international camp and the familiarity that brings, coupled with the incredible support, makes it such a massive occasion and a privilege to be a part of.”
Having been humiliated in the last two meetings of the sides and trailing Leinster (who also have a game in hand) by four points in the Magners table, Munster have a huge amount to play for and that, combined with the Thomond Park factor, could play a decisive role in the eventual outcome.
As always when these teams meet, there will be many little cameos involving key players where even higher honours are concerned. Pride of place, needless to say, goes to the latest intriguing head-to-head between O’Gara (who captains Munster in his 180th appearance in the jersey) and Jonny Sexton with the place-kicking success ratio between them likely to play a determining role in the result. Leinster’s Eoin Reddan returns to the ground where he played much of his early rugby to try and put one over on Tomas O’Leary.
It all adds up to a fascinating 80 minutes with the vote going to Munster because of the Thomond Park factor, their greater need and perhaps above all their burning desire to avenge those two stinging defeats.
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