O’Brien ignores form book and expects wild weekend in Bath

SEAN O’BRIEN has dismissed the relevance of Bath’s poor domestic form ahead of their back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures against Joe Schmidt’s reigning champions.

The English Premiership side sits third from bottom having lost six of their 10 games, the last three in a row to high-flying Harlequins, low-lying Worcester and mid-table Sale.

“It’s a different competition than the Premiership and we have seen before not to underestimate teams that haven’t been playing that well,” O’Brien has warned. “It will be a massively physical challenge for us.

“They will come at us with all guns blazing, especially in front of their own crowd and especially after a couple of their losses lately. I’m sure they won’t bring in the form they have had in the last couple of weeks.”

O’Brien’s caution is understandable, whether it is merely for public consumption or born of a deeply held conviction, but Leinster have gone to considerably more daunting fortresses than the Recreational Ground and left with four points. Sometimes five.

A world heritage site, Bath is quite possibly one of the most pleasant away trips in this competition with its distinctive Georgian architecture, Roman baths and manicured public parks all within a kick of the ground perched beside the picturesque River Avon. Many a team has found it all too comforting an experience, in fact, as the locals have lost four of their last six European fixtures on home ground, two of them against an Ulster side that had never previously tasted victory on English soil.

Leinster’s task over the coming two weekends has been helped further by a kinder draw.

“I wouldn’t say it is an advantage or anything,” said the flanker. “If anything it is probably a tougher task.

“Any away game in the Heineken Cup is always a tough game and it is going to be a battle. We all know what is expected of us and what type of game it will be.”

Bath will be fortified by the knowledge that another defeat will almost certainly consign them to a second pool exit in as many seasons but the recent World Cup is perhaps the most telling barometer of the gap between the two sides. Leinster’s strength in depth has been evidenced again this season with their ability to maintain a presence near the summit of the Pro12 table whilst their stars were in the southern hemisphere.

That said, Bath do possess the man who won the actual tournament. Stephen Donald was outshone by fellow Heineken Cup rookie Duncan Weir in the opening round but he gave a man-of-the-match display in the subsequent defeat of Montpellier.

Donald has played just thrice for his new club since kicking that winning penalty against France but he has shed his off-season paunch in the meantime and created Bath’s two tries in round two. He will take some watching.

“I wouldn’t say he is any more of a target than anyone else,” said O’Brien.

“He had a good rest last week along with a good few more of their key players so he will be fresh and will want to make a statement in the Heineken Cup this year.”