Young Leinster duo braced for a cup baptism of fire

CHRISTMAS may have come early for Eoin O’Malley. With Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald ruled out, and Brian O’Driscoll expected to follow suit, there are suddenly all sorts of opportunities opening in the previously impervious Leinster back line.

Word is that O’Malley will replace the injured number 13 while Fergus McFadden will be parachuted onto the wing for Sunday’s tasty meeting at Clermont Auvergne.

It would be a day of note for both. O’Malley, 22, has never featured in Europe before while McFadden’s input on the big Heineken days has been limited to four appearances off the bench. They will learn their fates on Friday.

“There is definitely a bit of nerves,” said O’Malley who, like McFadden, 24, is a centre first and foremost. “I get a bit of nerves every week and there will be that extra bit this week.

“Playing over in France brings its own excitement and nerves. Clermont are going to be a serious challenge so there will be a bit of an edge to it. I’ll be more nervous about the team-sheet and I’ll start looking forward to it then.”

McFadden’s is usually the name that comes to mind when people talk of the difficulties young talent face when trying to break into Leinster’s stellar back division but O’Malley has had to be just as patient.

Two years ago, the only time he got to mix with Leinster’s big names was in the treatment room when a difficult-to-diagnose hip injury confined him to the inactive roster for 11 months.

CJ van der Linde was a long-time companion then, as were, at various stages, Gordon D’Arcy, Shane Jennings and Fitzgerald but now he is rubbing shoulders with them on the pitch.

Both he and McFadden underwent something of an audition last Friday in the Magners League game at the Scarlets and O’Malley did himself no harm by bagging a crucial try in the 17-17 draw.

It was his ninth appearance of the season in blue but each and every one of them will pale into insignificance when aligned alongside his efforts at the Stade Marcel Michelin this weekend. If he starts, the likelihood is he will be in direct opposition to Clermont’s Aurelien Rougerie, a talismanic figure in the region and one who stands at 6’ 4” against the Irishman’s 5’ 10”. Hopefully, the mismatch will not extend beyond their physiques.

“He’s a world-class player apart from his size,” said the amiable O’Malley. “They have them all across the team-sheet.

“It’s something I’d be really looking forward to. It would be a big chance to prove myself and to play at that level would be pretty exciting. It would be something, fingers crossed, to be involved in.”

Coach Joe Schmidt’s inside knowledge of the Top 14 champions should help Leinster in their efforts to maintain their unbeaten run in Pool Two but O’Malley has been keeping an eye on ‘Les Jaunards’ himself and, as a back, he likes what he sees from Clermont.

“Absolutely. I’ve only noticed them in the last few years, coming into the professional game. It was Joe who probably got them playing like that and hopefully he’ll know how to dismantle them as well.

“They definitely are a team that like to throw the ball around. They have big, strong and fast guys with good skills. It is a very attractive brand of rugby they play, and hopefully we’ll be able to stop it on Sunday.”