Cup fears haunt Schmidt

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt is worried their Heineken Cup qualification next year could be under threat unless they pick up sufficient results in the RaboDirect PRO12 while their frontline players are away.

Leinster, with 14 in New Zealand, have more players at the World Cup than any other side in Europe and with another nine injured, the Heineken Cup champions have been stretched.

They used just one replacement at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday evening when they spoiled the home side’s celebration of their 5,000th match.

Schmidt is more concerned with a smaller block of games — the six or now possibly eight — until he gets his stars back. Defeat on Saturday would have seen them lose three of their opening four and Schmidt didn’t downplay the significance of the victory.

He said: “It is a massively important win. If we had gone into next weekend with just five or six points and with Munster on 17 points and Ulster and Connacht so far ahead, we could be in a position where we would not quality for the Heineken Cup. There is an opportunity for younger players with so many away but they have a massive responsibility and they needed to front up in this one.

“We are texting back and forth to the guys in New Zealand and I have spoken to a number of the players recently and there is an excited feel in their camp and a massive will to go further.

“Of course we would be delighted if Ireland go through but if they do then that will be another couple of league games we will be without of them. This win in the context of those eight games, if that’s what it is, is crucial. Realistically, we could be out of the PRO12 if we don’t get results from these eight games.

He said that the performance may not have been flash but after the frustration of losing to Glasgow, that did not matter.

Full-back Isa Nacewa was the hero as he landed five penalties from six to ensure that the Scarlets, themselves with ten at the World Cup, lost to an Irish side for the third week running.

Dan Newton missed a few kicks which could have made all the difference but Nacewa landed a brace for Leinster to lead 6-3 at the end of a dreadful opening half. Nacewa added another penalty after the restart but then Scarlets hit back for the only try of the game. Scrum-half Ruki Tipuna broke from deep, fed Aaron Shingler who cut a good line to put Lee Williams over in the right corner after 47 minutes.

Newton nailed the difficult conversion to push Scarlets 10-9 in front but Nacewa responded with a penalty three minutes later. He put further daylight between them three minutes later in what proved to be the final score of the night as Leinster held on for victory in front of a muted crowd of 8,823 whose party was deflated by Schmidt’s men.

Scorers for Scarlets: Try: Lee Williams; Con: Newton; Pen: Newton.

Scorers for Leinster: Pens: Nacewa (5).

SCARLETS: D Ford; Lee Williams, N Reynolds, G Maule, A Fenby; D Newton, R Tipuna; I Thomas, E Phillips, R Thomas; A Shingler, D Day; R McCusker, J Edwards, B Morgan.

Replacements: D Welch for Day, 26; Liam Williams for Ford, 50; G Davies for Tipuna, 50; P John for I Thomas, 62; R Jones for R Thomas, 67; R Pugh for Edwards, 70; A Thomas for Newton, 72.

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; F Carr, E O’Malley, L Fitzgerald, D Kearney; I Madigan, C Willis; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, N White; D Browne, D Toner; R Ruddock, J Murphy, L Auva’a.

Replacements: J Hagan for White, 40.

Referee: J Lacey (IRFU).