Leinster’s superior backs can tame Tigers

RICHARD COCKERILL wasn’t the first Leicester coach to dismiss the significance of an iconic Irish stadium when he glossed over the return of five of his players to the Aviva this evening so soon after their Six Nations trauma with England.

Four years ago, one of his predecessors looked ahead to a sixth round pool game against Munster in Limerick and, rather than genuflect at the Thomond altar like many, Pat Howard labelled the ground “just a field”.

Within days, the East Midlands club had become the first to get the better of the Irish province in their spiritual home in European competition and they return to Ireland this week with a record of two wins from two visits (1996 and 2005) at the old Lansdowne Road. More important than all the history is the knowledge that the Tigers have won six of their last games on the road since the New Year with the one loss an insignificant LV Cup reversal suffered by a youthful second-string against the Exeter Chiefs.

Oh, and they’re top of the Premiership as well.

“They are a team that has always travelled well,” Leinster coach Joe Schmidt agreed this week. “When you have the strength of player that they have they will travel well because they are often that bit stronger than their opponent so we will have to be fully prepared.”

Schmidt will be happy with the hand he has to play after the Six Nations. Long-term absentee Rob Kearney aside, Leinster are at full-strength though Shane Jennings has been omitted from the squad due to a lack of game time after his recent knee problems. There were no surprises in the XV named by the Irish province yesterday with Schmidt abiding by his familiar policy of starting Eoin Reddan at nine for home European matches with Isaac Boss likely to see significant game-time in the second-half.

If there was an eyebrow-raising selection it came on the Leicester side where renowned tighthead Martin Castrogiovanni has been confined to the bench in favour of Dan Cole while Boris Stankovic fills in for the suspended Marcos Ayerza at loose. A Leicester front row without their Italian or Argentinian props may appear to be a less formidable unit but Cole is a highly-rated young operator with a huge future and the New Zealand-born, English-qualified Stankovic is a solid deputy on the far side.

“I know Boris Stankovic well,” said Schmidt. “He’s a Kiwi who went through New Zealand schools and the age grade system in New Zealand; he’s a competent player. That is one of their strengths, they have strength in depth. Whether they put Castrogiovanni across to loose head or move Stankovic there, when you’re looking at alternatives they are two very good ones.”

The only other change from last week’s defeat of Harlequins sees Louis Deacon return to the second-row, meaning there is no place for the highly-rated Kiwi back row Thomas Waldrom.

Regardless of the personnel, the Tigers’ modus operandi will hardly change much but the perception ahead of the 2009 final, when these two last met, was that the English side would win the forward battle and that didn’t happen.

This Leinster pack is superior to their predecessors – both at the setpiece and in open play – with Jamie Heaslip’s upward curve and Sean O’Brien’s emergence negating the absence of Rocky Elsom who was man of the match in that decider. Add to that the fact that the scrum has benefited enormously from the arrivals of Mike Ross and specialist coach Greg Feek. If Healy can get to grips with Cole then Leinster should be set fair to provide their superior backs with the ammunition to win.

The tete-a-tetes at half-back will be fascinating – a repeat of the Ireland-England encounter of last month when Jonathan Sexton and Reddan enjoyed a day of days while Toby Flood and Ben Youngs endured a nightmare.

Don’t expect such divergent experiences this time but while Leicester carry more beef in the rest of the back line – in the shape of the Tuilagis in particular – guys like Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy have conceded height and weight advantage before and won’t be phased by it. If there is a worry for Leinster it is the lack of game-time and momentum – Munster being they’re one game together — they have been able to generate since emerging at the top of a group containing Clermont Auvergne, Racing Metro 92 and Saracens. Schmidt admitted as much but they showed against Munster they can click into gear at short notice. Repeat that and avoid the same second-half dip and they can book themselves a home semi-final.