Leinster on Clermont alert

Four Rabo PRO12 fixtures, three Irish internationals and seven weeks stand between Leinster and the first of their back-to-back European heavyweight contests against Clermont Auvergne but it is a fixture already dominating thoughts and headlines.

And when Damien Browne, who spent two years with Clermont’s nearest local rivals in Brive, was wheeled out for yesterday’s media briefing, talk turned instantly to the French club’s 46-12 demolition job on the road in Sandy Park two days earlier.

“To be honest with you, I haven’t actually seen the game against Exeter but I was pretty impressed with the scoreline,” Browne admitted.

“We were travelling back from Wales at the time it was on but some of the lads were keeping tracking of it. It was 12-9 at one stage and we were saying, ‘jeez, they’re in for a fight here’ but to pull away like they did was very impressive over there because Exeter gave us a very tough time. Exeter are a very dogged team.”

Clermont’s tour de force was all the more impressive when set alongside Leinster’s struggles earlier on Saturday in Parc y Scarlets but Joe Schmidt can at least be happy with the fact that he is slowly reaching a point where injuries are the exception rather than the norm.

There were no fresh concerns arising from the defeat of the Scarlets. Gordon D’Arcy’s ribs survived his return to play while flanker Rhys Ruddock and wing Dave Kearney are due to follow suit with game time against Cardiff in the PRO12 this weekend.

The word on Rob Kearney doing likewise was mixed yesterday while South African lock Quinn Roux may come through in time for a run-out as well but, while Leinster have fared well in claiming two pool wins, assistant coach Jon Gibbes could only chuckle when it was suggested that the pressure is now off for a spell.

“No, I wouldn’t have thought so. I just think there were some positives to the tough result away from home that we needed but certainly there’s still room to go. There’s errors that we’re making and some discipline issues that are costing us a bit of flow.”

It has been Leinster’s good fortune that they have avoided Clermont in the last fortnight given the fact that the 12 tries scored by Vern Cotter’s side amounts to four times that managed by Leinster, Exeter Chiefs and the Scarlets put together.

More to the point is the fact that Leinster will travel to France for the first of the two December meetings trailing by two points and desperate for some tangible return from a venue where Clermont’s unbeaten run of appearances is approaching the 50-plus mark.

“The way it has worked out has set it up hugely,” said Browne. “They’ve got the edge with bonus points. I’m loath to say it but they are going to take those games one at a time.

“They won’t be getting ahead of the first one over there and they are obviously going to target that.”