Barnes: Sexton fitness woes could be costly
The injured Irish star has been bracketed with Isa Nacewa in Leinster’s team for the eagerly awaited Magners League sell-out clash with Munster at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night, but there is no guarantee he will either start or finish the game.
And Sexton’s availability for even part of this Irish derby has been described as “vital” by former England and British and Irish Lions out-half Barnes, who believes it’s now also make or break time for Leinster.
“I’m loath to suggest a guy should compromise his fitness but if Sexton’s health is ok, if he’s 75% fit and not going to damage himself then he should play,’’ Barnes said.
“On the evidence of results so far, Leinster have to get themselves rolling even if they lose to Munster thisweekend. Sexton has to get some game time or otherwise he will have to go straight in (cold) against Racing Metro in the Heineken Cup.
“Racing are third in the (French) Top 14 and they’ve a very dangerous threat. Leinster won’t find it easy and they then have to play away to Saracens. Two defeats in the opening two games, and I figure they would have to forget about qualification; in that group there would be no way back.”
Munster will, no doubt, be delighted to learn that Leinster’s key open side flanker Shane Jennings has been ruled out. Jamie Heaslip takes over the captaincy of the team and Barnes expects him to be a huge figure in this battle of Ireland’s finest.
“When Heaslip is on song, then so too are Leinster,” he said.
But Barnes also has huge time for Munster’s Tomás O’Leary, and believes the scrum-half can turn this game in his side’s favour.
“For a start, his cover tackling is superb; it’s a whole power thing, coming through hard and fast. Technically he is exceptionally good, his head is always in the right place so he tackles with great technique. He gets into an explosive impact with opponents.
“If you plod into the tackle, as someone like Steve Borthwick does, you’ll make the tackle and the stats will look good, but you’re actually not knocking anyone backwards. O’Leary accelerates into the confrontation; that’s why he is such a destructive tackler.
“On another issue, last year in the quarter-final against Northampton everyone talked about Ronan O’Gara and his raking and searching touch-finders, but for me the biggest influence was O’Leary going into the wind. He ran that game and if there was to be a competition for the Heineken Cup 15 best performances for players he would surely have been included.”
Barnes is still firm in his view that Munster can continue their drive through to the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup at least, believing that they will be able to cope better than most clubs with the change of emphasis and direction on current laws relating to the breakdown.
“When we have changes, different directives, one team to benefit should be Munster. For 10 years we have all been asked whether there is a team as smart at the breakdown as they are.
“The answer is no. Whatever the laws, favouring attack or defence, Munster always seems to be the one that plays the referee and the law better than anyone. With tinkering again going on now, French teams certainly aren’t quite certain what they’re supposed to be doing and Munster have shown so far that they’re adapting.”
“Munster take risks but they’re thinking about it (the situation). If you don’t take a risk you put two men in (near the breakdown) and string out the defence; that’s what most clubs do, that’s not thinking-coaching but rather it is a reaction to what they perceive the laws make them do.
“For Munster, Alan Quinlan, for instance, is a professor of the breakdown, a master of that area, and even if he doesn’t start a game you can be certain, as it was when Jim Williams was there, other intelligent people are working out how to contest and combat whatever obstructions are in front of them. I just think it gives Munster a big edge because they’re so skilful at it.”
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