Donal Lenihan: The business end at last with Saints showdown now huge for Munster
BIG GAME: Gavin Coombes in training with Munster. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie
FINALLY, a Champions Cup weekend sprinkled with tight contests that went all the way to the wire. While we still had a plethora of one-sided ties with teams fielding combinations well short on regular starters, there was enough drama across the 12 contests to capture the imagination.
Only now, with the final round of pool games upon us, do we begin to come to terms with the convoluted qualification process that facilitates four of the six teams in every pool advancing to the knockout phase.
It seems harsh in the extreme, for example, that despite winning two of their three pool games to date, in addition to picking up a losing bonus point away to Castres, Munster are still not guaranteed qualification for the next phase despite accumulating 10 points.
By way of contrast, several clubs who fielded vastly understrength sides in two pool outings but secured a bonus point win in one game are, at least mathematically, still in a position to make the round of 16. That just doesn’t feel right.
At least nobody can point a finger at the Irish provinces who continue to treat Europe with the respect it deserves. Operating somewhat under the radar in the Challenge Cup, Connacht are flying high with three wins from three and a maximum return of 15 points. That sets them up nicely for a home run of knockout games in a tournament that keeps their season on track.
Ulster’s young squad under Richie Murphy have found life difficult in a pool alongside French giants Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles, both serious contenders for ultimate honours, along with Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs. Without a win or even a single point, Ulster may not even make it into the Challenge Cup.
They have a number of talented young players coming through at present and Murphy deserves time to get the best out of them. As a result, Munster and Leinster will be the only Irish sides left in Champions Cup rugby when the knockout phase comes around in April.
While one swallow doesn’t make a summer, last Saturday proved a good day for Munster’s Champions Cup aspirations. From the outset I identified Toulouse, Leinster, La Rochelle and Bordeaux-Begles as the most likely winners. On the evidence presented over the opening rounds, I would add a revitalised Toulon to the mix, an ever improving Glasgow Warriors outfit with Northampton, at their best, a potential outside bet. Unfortunately, the haphazard way the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks have approached qualification has diluted the prospects of a first-ever South African winner.
This Saturday's game in Northampton takes on massive importance for Munster. The return to arms of Conor Murray, Jack Crowley and Jack O'Donoghue last weekend made a big difference, while it appears likely that Peter O'Mahony will also make it back for Saturday’s crucial tie. If Munster could add the likes of Craig Casey, Thaakir Abrahams, Alex Nankivell, Sean O'Brien, Jean Kleyn and Jeremy Loughman to their roster in time for the knockout phase in April, things could get rather interesting.
The fact that Edwin Edogbo was involved in Saturday’s warm-up offers further possibilities even if Fineen Wycherley enjoyed his best outing in a big European game against Saracens. The big selection debate this week, with O'Mahony set to start at No 6, is whether Tom Ahern should start ahead of Wycherley or be held in reserve once again to replicate the impact he delivered on Saturday.
That bench impact ultimately proved the difference between the two sides in the end, with that 14-point surge between the 60th and 64th minute transforming a likely home defeat into a morale-boosting victory.
That result felt even better when news filtered through that an understrength Northampton side, having sprinted into a 21-point lead in a stunning opening quarter, eventually collapsed to a 45-35 defeat to Stade Francais. That result in Paris has afforded Munster a bit more breathing space when they return to Franklin's Gardens, looking to avenge the home and away defeats to Phil Dowson’s men in last season’s Champions Cup.
The Munster coaching team will appreciate that there’s plenty scope for improvement after a fractured performance in victory that included and incredible 22 handling errors. Ian Costello knows Munster won’t get away with that next time out. After the Sarries win, he suggested as much. "I don't think it will be 6-3 at Northampton. I don't think there will be a lack of tries, so the team that wins will have to score a few tries as well.” For that to happen, Munster will need to be far more clinical with ball in hand.
Which leaves us with Leinster. Unbeaten across nine URC and three Champions Cup outings to date this season, it's hard to escape the feeling that they still have so much more to offer. In recent seasons, they’ve been guilty of sprinting out of the blocks before running out of steam at the business end when the silverware is handed out.
Despite being one of only seven clubs already qualified for the knockout phase, you feel they have so much scope for improvement, especially in attack. In their last two outings against Top 14 opposition, Leinster have been restricted to three tries, two against Clermont Auvergne in a 15-7 win in Dublin and one in the gripping two-point victory over La Rochelle on Sunday.
With just one win from their three pool outings to date, current Premiership leaders Bath haven’t quite set the world alight with their performances in Europe. Crucially, they secured losing bonus points in two narrow defeats, at home to La Rochelle and away to Benetton, which leaves them with plenty to fight for against Leinster.
Bath coach Johann van Graan knows exactly what to expect from his days with Munster when he travels to Dublin. At a minimum, Bath require a losing bonus point or, less likely given Leinster’s suffocating defence a four-try bonus point to qualify, meaning Van Graan must unleash his strongest available team.
With Ireland hosting England at the same venue two week later, it’s a game Steve Borthwick will watch with interest given that he’s included Bath’s Will Stuart, Tom Hill, and Ollie Lawrence in his Six Nations squad announced on Tuesday - while surprisingly omitting scrum half Ben Spencer.
Unfortunately, Bath’s outstanding open side Sam Underhill is ruled out for club and country due to a recurrence of his all too frequent ankle injuries. The in form Finn Russell, most pundits' favourite to fill the famous No 10 Lions test shirt in Australia this summer, will relish his return to familiar surroundings for a first encounter against the up-and-coming Sam Prendergast.
One man who’ll be jumping out of his socks, literally, to be involved is former Leinster second row and line out nerd Ross Molony, who joined Bath at the start of the season after a stellar career in blue.
Given that Leinster’s line out has stuttered at various times this season, you can be sure Van Graan has leaned heavily on Molony’s encyclopedic knowledge of Leinster’s line out in training this week. It will be interesting to see if that elevates him to a starting role on Saturday or whether he’ll be held in reserve on the bench.
Once again the fortunes of Munster and Leinster will have us glued to the action for their back-to-back encounters on Saturday afternoon. While stationed at the Aviva on television duty, I’ll be tuning in from the bowels of the stadium to events at Franklins Gardens, hoping that Munster can build on the momentum generated from last weekend’s pivotal win. Franklin's Gardens will tell us a lot.
