Harry Byrne and Leinster aiming to show Sharks who's the boss
SHOWTIME: Harry Byrne during a Leinster Rugby captain's run at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
No-one is spitting teeth at Leinster’s migration from the RDS to the Aviva Stadium for Saturday’s URC quarter-final. And not just because it’s Bruce Springsteen rather than Ed Sheeran making himself at home for the weekend.
Unlike Munster, who had to shift their Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse from Thomond Park to Dublin last season, there is no concern abroad that this logistical switch could be potentially injurious to their ambitions.
Leo Cullen, for one, has no issue with it, even aside from their familiarity with the place. The Leinster head coach is a big fan of The Boss and plans to take in a few numbers on Sunday, provided the province gets the job done Saturday evening.
Cullen’s favourite Springsteen number is ‘Badlands’, a song about a guy who wants more in life and sure isn’t going to hang about waiting for it, and it may be that the tune resonates with him that bit more at this late stage of the season.
It was around about this time 12 months ago, after all, that Leinster’s search for domination on two stages began to unravel with their URC semi-final defeat to the Bulls and the last-gasp loss to Las Rochelle in the Champions Cup decider.
Already qualified for the final of the latter, they will have to navigate five knockout games in as many weeks if they make it to the URC’s big day, and the presence in Dublin of New Jersey’s famous son lends another timely lesson as they dig into their vast reserves.
Springsteen is 73 now. It’s 50 years since he released his debut album, almost 40 since ‘Born In The USA’ exploded off the shelves, and yet he continues to treat his fans to marathon concerts that put subsequent generations of stars to shame.
“Exactly. Three-and-a-half hours up on stage and just that repeat performance,” said Cullen.
“Sportspeople are performers really. But when you see someone like that, a performer, and it’s just the love of the craft and delivering a performance because they love what they do… That’s what we want our guys here to do, love what they do. So it’s not a chore for them to come into Leinster.”
Unlike Springsteen and his supporting band, Leinster have the luxury of rotating their line-up and Cullen has made nine changes from the side that started the ‘European’ semi-final defeat of Toulouse at the same venue last weekend.
Josh van der Flier, James Ryan, Ross Molony and Jimmy O’Brien are among those given the day off, other front-liners have been named on the bench, and Robbie Henshaw is closing in on a return to full fitness after his injury issues.
Among those ushered into the XV is Harry Byrne who makes his 50th appearance for the province. More pertinent again is the fact that he will be the first No.10 not called Johnny Sexton or Ross Byrne to start a knockout game for Leinster in eight years.
That’s a phenomenal stretch going back 32 games across both competitions to Jimmy Gopperth’s presence at out-half for the Champions Cup semi-final loss to Toulon after extra-time in Marseille’s Velodrome.
Munster, by way of contrast, have played just over a third that number of playoff games in the same period and started six different men in the pivotal role: Tyler Bleyendaal, JJ Hanrahan, Joey Carbery, Ian Keatley, Ben Healy and Jack Crowley.
This is another significant step towards life without their talisman for Leinster. And for their playmaker.
The younger of the Byrne brothers is 24 now and a few seasons removed from the swell that seemed to be carrying him towards a shot at being Sexton’s understudy with Ireland. That was when injuries intervened but time is still very much on his side.
“To play the top end at ten is such a big responsibility,” said Cullen. “It sometimes takes a bit of time. There is the technical and the tactical part to play at ten. It’s the most challenging position to play on the field in many ways. Tightheads would probably argue that but with ten there is the responsibility they have with running the team.
“There is also the physical part as well so making sure your body is able to cope with the demands because there is plenty of traffic that goes through that ten channel these days on both sides of the ball. So you have to be able to carry to the line or defend some of the bigger bodies that are coming at you as well.”
The Sharks will have plenty of those but a side that was woefully inconsistent during the season - and missing Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Jaden Hendrikse and Curwin Bosch at ten on Saturday - is unlikely to interrupt Leinster’s long-running residency in Ballsbridge.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
