Leinster may pay price in Europe for poor PRO 12 campaign
Rankings for the annual pool draws had been decided by a rolling four-year accumulation of results in Europe. That was when the competition was still known as the Heineken Cup, but placings in the three domestic leagues are now used as the sole arbiters.
Leinster, who were ranked among the top seeds in Europe this campaign based on their PRO12 table-topping success last season, will now drop to the third rung of seeds if they remain in their current position one slot outside the league play-offs.
That will not change regardless of whether they win or lose against reigning European champions Toulon in the penultimate round of the Champions Cup in the Stade Velodrome this Sunday - and form suggests that the latter scenario is far more likely.
The implications are obvious in that a lower rank increases the likelihood of being stationed in a much harder pool and, indeed, the perception is that Leinster profited from a relatively benign grouping this term alongside Wasps, Harlequins and Castres.
Ospreys finished fifth in the PRO12 last season. They were thus lumped in alongside the fast-improving and mega-rich Racing Metro and English champions Northampton Saints as a result and failed to make it into the knockout stages.
Leinster’s demotion is all the more notable given they were ranked among the top European seeds for each of the last five seasons. Their three titles in four years between 2009 and 2012 afforded them the highest rank of any club in Europe for three of those.
Not since 2008/09, the year in which they actually went on to claim their first Heineken Cup under Michael Cheika, have they been ranked outside the top echelon of clubs and even then they were rated the best of the second-tier.
O’Connor admits Leinster, who had been chasing a hat-trick of domestic titles, have failed to ‘mirror’ the improvement in the PRO12, one apparently brought about by the changes in European qualification criteria this season.
“There is always pressure,” he said. “There is pressure every week to win. The dynamic of meritocracy has changed the league and there are a lot of teams digging in and making results harder at this stage.”
“From that end, we have to review things and look to make sure we are better because the league has grown enormously this season on the back of meritocracy and we probably haven’t mirrored that.”
They will at least travel to France with a well-rested squad given ten of those who started the quarter-final win over Bath played no part in Wales two days ago. Three more started with Luke Fitzgerald and Jordi Murphy used off the bench.
A handful of medicals were conducted yesterday on what was a day off for most.
Richardt Strauss received some stitches while Shane Jennings is going through return-to-play protocols after being replaced just 13 minutes into the Dragons game.
That aside, O’Connor appears to have little to concern him from a health and fitness standpoint though the side’s recent travails in the PRO12 are in marked contrast to a Toulon side that maintained top spot in the Top 14 with a win away to Grenoble.
O’Connor knows Toulon well having seen his European ambitions thwarted by them this past two seasons at their Stade Felix Mayol: the first of those with Leicester Tigers and the latter during his first season with Leinster.
“It’s a massive game and it definitely helps that the game is in Marseille because Toulon are incredibly hard to beat at home, as they have proven over the last two or three years.” said O’Connor.
“Very few teams win at Felix Mayol so the fact we’re playing in Marseille offers a little comfort for us, but they still have one hell of a side.
Wayne Barnes will officiate, while Ireland’s George Clancy will ref Saturday’s other semi-final between Clermont Auvergne and Saracens in
Saint-Etienne.
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