Rugby AnalysisI remember attending Shane Byrne's 100th Leinster cap celebratory banquet dinner. What then does Ronan O'Gara deserve for 235? It's an extraordinary achievement and all the more so as he remains so important and intrinsic to their game.
For instance, last week on six minutes and 23 seconds O’Gara dropped the ball from his hands to his right foot in taking a penalty 50m out and two from the left-hand touchline. The score was 0-0 and I wondered what would Munster have done in the past: go down the touchline, no doubt, to squeeze the life out of Cardiff for a try in the corner with a world-class touchline conversion from O’Gara. But as that ball bounced back into his hands off he went, deep into enemy territory.
Not long ago in Paris I was informed by a Munster man there was no new game plan. I nodded and walked away. Edinburgh are a poor version of Scotland – and Scotland are very poor. But last week’s Cardiff were not much better, so I’m confused. The ERC draw from the outset was favourable for Munster, who, I believe, travel this weekend for a certain win.
Unfortunately, the tap penalty above brought a tame knock on into touch, where the opportunity died. Why am I confused? No early lineout try and the giant James Downey didn’t carry in the first half until the 36th minute. Without his crash ball I wonder about his role and the team’s general focus point.
Kick-off ping-pong
On O’Gara’s kick-offs, Downey’s pre-ordained drift takes him on to the wing. On 41 minutes, after a kick-off ping-pong, Doug Howlett countered from deep down the right-hand touchline. From the recycle, scrumhalf Duncan Williams found O’Gara, and on to the ever-improving Dave Kilcoyne, who pulled a beauty back to Denis Hurley. With Stephen Archer, Dave Foley and Sean Dougall loitering, Hurley hit Keith Earls.
By this stage Downey was back in midfield but strangely surplus to requirements. He was neither found nor looked to provide the power line to punch a Cardiff defence who were able to sleepwalk.
Earls found Donnacha Ryan, who threw forward to James Coughlan, without even looking. These are very good players but all looked like fish out of water, none of them employed in their best position or to maximise their best skill-set. Not until the 54th minute did Downey get his first charge of the second half from a line-out.
Munster’s attack is full of life, ambition and intent, but too often passes land behind the shoulder. Players consequently receive the ball drifting then soak time securing the ball and only then look to straighten or target a weak shoulder. This gives defences untold opportunity to target the ball-carrier. The three-pod system is fine, but what is the value of forwards out wide where – with the exception of Mike Sherry – they are uncomfortable?
Clearly no longer the fastest on the pitch, Howlett continues to be subtle in all things but especially when fielding the ball and taking off; going forward with power and pace. A pity he has to eke out opportunities. He is simply brilliant, but especially as a trail runner timing his arrival on the ball-carrier’s shoulder. It is beautiful to watch, as he did from Downey off Casey Laulala on 71 minutes.
The good news as always for Munster is up front, where Kilcoyne’s energy and scrummaging from all the way back to Paris has been super. But if Leinster’s Michael Bent gets another run for Ireland ahead of Archer it would be a travesty. Archer is becoming (like any normal non-freak prop, given time) a very impressive rugby player and prop and very useful around the pitch. With freak props about the place we forget props require much time to grow into their role.
O’Gara’s world-class boot is not going to get Munster to the final without a potent attacking game plan behind it, but Edinburgh are not likely to examine that on Sunday. On 75 minutes, with Munster 13 behind, O’Gara stood once again over the ball with a kickable penalty. As the ball left his boot it didn’t bounce back up into his hands, but went into the far corner for a lineout; why? I’m confused – are the team?
Uncertain set-piece
The received wisdom is Leinster tomorrow will score two tries in the first half and two in the second, but Ulster demolished Scarlets last week, scoring five tries, after not crossing until the 43rd minute. The Scarlets’ set-piece is uncertain and secondrow Richard Kelly spilled four balls after catching in the lineout. Ulster’s Tom Court hammered the left-hand side at scrum time, with penalties flowing.
Most interestingly for Leinster is Scarlets commit the bare minimum to the breakdown, which should suit Leinster as it could become a free-for-all. But they do fill the defensive field, meaning Leinster’s biggest challenge will not be the set-piece or scoring tries but getting Scarlets to commit to the breakdown, thereby creating space for their best runners.
Ulster’s number eight Nick Williams provided a brilliant point of attack, which sucked in Scarlets. Will Heaslip or Seán O’Brien do likewise?
Rewinds will shift Scarlets defenders and Leinster blindside wingers popping up around the ruck will fix fatty defenders. Interestingly, Scarlets tend not to have a scrumhalf behind the breakdown, choosing to act as an aggressive sweeper in defence. Ultimately, I’ll be most interested in how Leinster build the early phases and witness what Joe Schmidt has planned to get offensive numerical superiority as the phases evolve. Get this right and the tries will come. If not . . .
