DONAL LENIHAN: Weekend throws up new worries

The game of cat and mouse in how best to prepare for their mouthwatering Heineken Cup semi-final began in earnest this weekend for Munster and Clermont.

Rob Penney and opposite number Vern Cotter took very different approaches to their team selections for games in major domestic competitions at the weekend.

Penney choose to start 11 of the side that accounted for Harlequins last weekend when entertaining Leinster in the Rabo on Saturday night while Cotter decided his cause would be best served by resting practically his entire team for a French Top 14 tie against Toulon.

Indeed half-back Ludovic Radosvljevic was the only player retained from the Clermont side which defeated Montpellier in their quarter-final last weekend.

Accepting that Paul O’Connell needed as much game time as possible, not only in his quest to reach full match fitness after his long injury lay off but also to cement a place in the Lions squad, the second row insisted he start against Leinster alongside Donncha O’Callaghan. With Donnacha Ryan still nursing a shoulder injury after his recent exertions, it made perfect sense for the Tipperary giant to sit this one out on Saturday night.

Right now, however, the participation of both long- serving second rows hangs in the balance, with O’Callaghan forced off with a worrying knee injury and O’Connell’s availability for that semi-final also shrouded in doubt as he looks certain to be cited for dangerous play.

O’Connell sought to kick the ball out of the grasp of a prostrate Dave Kearney after the winger had fielded magnificently and was winded after landing heavily. While O’Connell’s clear intention was to dislodge the ball, his use of the boot was careless and more than likely, he will be called upon to explain his actions.

O’Connell’s fate, and by extension Munster’s, could now be in the hands of a disciplinary panel.

Having fought his way back from back surgery to inspire his side to that famous win in London last weekend — and as a consequence put himself in contention for a third Lions tour — this is extremely unfortunate.

Despite the appalling weather conditions, this was yet another classic encounter between two sides who know and respect each other so well and invariably serve up a wonderful contest.

Leinster will be thrilled to win this one given that they were on the back foot for long periods with Munster dominating in both territory and possession.

Munster’s back row of Peter O’Mahony, Tommy O’Donnell and James Coughlan were magnificent for the second week in a row and fought out a thrilling battle for supremacy on the deck against Sean O’Brien, Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip. They flooded the breakdown early on and manufactured a number of turnovers, leaving scraps for Brian O’Driscoll and the rest of the Leinster backs to play off.

The visitors lineout was also under enormous pressure throughout with O’Connell and O’Callaghan reigning supreme. The introduction of Devin Toner helped turn the tide a little but despite playing against a gale in that opening half, Munster were the happier side at the break.

However Leinster hung in there and turned the tide in the final quarter when they finally got the measure of their hosts in the contact area and retained possession for long periods, with O’Brien inspirational.

A trademark Brian O’Driscoll try from a pick and go close to the line after sustained pressure that saw Leinster retain possession through 25 phases proved decisive.

That made it nine wins for Leinster in the last 11 meetings against their southern rivals and the reaction of their players at the final whistle suggested it was every bit as sweet as any of the previous eight. It also propelled them back into pole position for a home semi-final in the Rabo. Any faint hopes Munster entertained of sneaking into the play-offs were already scuppered before the game started when Glasgow lost to the Scarlets on Friday night.

In France, Clermont Auvergne are under a little pressure from Toulouse, who they meet in a crucial Top 14 clash next weekend, for the second guaranteed French championship semi-final slot. Toulon already had one of those spots sown up before they shifted their home game against Clermont to the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles yesterday. As if to underline even further the challenge facing Munster in a fortnight, the Clermont second team held a very strong Toulon side to a 26-26 draw.

No doubt Cotter will reinstate his strongest side on Saturday for the visit of Toulouse when they seek to extend their remarkable unbeaten run at the Stade Marcel Michelin to 59 games. In the circumstances, Munster are more than happy that the Heineken Cup semi-final will be staged in Montpellier.

With Cotter sure to have his side fresh but battle hardened for that encounter, Penney now faces an anxious wait as O’Connell’s availability once again comes into question. He could have done without that.