Leinster 9 Exeter 6:LAST WEEK against Munster had seemed like a step forward for the European champions but, even allowing for how fired-up and cohesive this well-drilled Exeter side were, for much of an expectant, sun-drenched full house, this was something of an anti-climactic step back again.
It had shades of Leinster’s opening defence three years ago, when losing 12-9 to London Irish; the key difference being, of course, this time they at least won playing poorly.
Something is not quite right with the Leinster machine and it’s hard to put one’s finger on it. For sure, an extensive injury list is the kernel of the problem, and here in particular they missed the go-forward ball generated by the last two ERC European Players of the Year, Seán O’Brien and Rob Kearney, who were the tournament’s leading carriers overall in each of those campaigns.
It could be that some key men are past their best, or that collectively they’ve lost a little of the desire that propelled them to three European Cup wins in four years. That is beyond anything even one generation of Toulouse or Leicester players have ever managed.
However, the evidence arguably points more to a little self-doubt, emanating in part from the injury list and the battering in Connacht, and a lack of cohesion caused by an average of nine changes per game until Joe Schmidt could retain all but two of his starting line-up for this encounter.
Defeats knock back sides who are most used to winning than losing, all the more so one with Leinster’s inordinately high standards. In point of fact, Leinster made an encouragingly positive start for the first 15 minutes or so, but handling errors and forced passes undid their high tempo, and when things didn’t happen for them an anxiousness crept into their play.
They increasingly struggled to retain the ball through the phases, in large part due to their inaccuracy at the breakdown but also because the unconvincing Pascal Gauzere was a good deal harsher on players holding on to the ball than, say, coming around the fringes or applying the hindmost foot.
In this regard, the French official almost gave Eoin Reddan as little protection as the latter’s team-mates. Although Reddan was regularly impeded illegally, only once were Exeter’s fringe offenders penalised, and that was when replacement prop Ben Moon laughably came from behind the scrumhalf.
In truth though, and in sharp contrast to the Chiefs, at times Leinster were uncharacteristically individualistic. At various points in the game Ian Madigan, Andrew Conway, even Isa Nacewa, Fergus McFadden, Reddan and others managed to lose their support and go into contact isolated.
This wasn’t always their fault, nor did they always lose possession, but it contributed to their difficulties in recycling ruck ball and in generating much in the way of an offloading game.
“There was a little bit of a lack of structure,” admitted Schmidt. “One of the things that we do pride ourselves on a little bit is that we keep our shape. Guys know who’s where and you don’t tend to get that isolated player but we got that a few times today, and while that’s frustrating, it’s something that we feel we can work on, and if we work on it we’ll be a little more fluid next week.”
He attributed this to the lack of cohesion caused by the continuing changes, players returning from injury and the knock-on effect in training, as well as the relative inexperience of Madigan in his converted position of fullback and Conway, who was making his Heineken Cup debut.
It didn’t help, either, that once again in the absence of Devin Toner and with some dodgy darts by Richardt Strauss, they coughed up three of their 10 lineouts. The net effect was that the Tom Hayes and co, working trojanly to retain the ball, had almost 60 per cent of the possession and the territory.
But while their attacking game was off-colour, Leinster haven’t been back-to-back champions without an outstanding defence as well, and here, for all the Chiefs’ recycling, there was a predictability about the way Gareth Steenson continually moved the ball wide. Even so, the official stats said, remarkably, they missed only four of 168 tackles and did not concede one lineout.
Hence, in conditions more suitable for 40-30, Leinster were also indebted to three penalties from four by Jonathan Sexton to two from four by ex-Dungannon man Steenson, as well as Ignacio Mieres missing with the last kick of the game from almost halfway; as Madigan thought better of hoofing the ball into a muted if relieved crowd.
It was also a commentary on Leinster’s relatively unexceptional strength in depth, allowing for an extensive injury list, that despite the paucity of the performance Schmidt still made scant use of his bench, whereas his counterpart Rob Baxter emptied his.
Leinster are a considerable way from either full strength or optimum performance level, but they do have a win under their belts.
Scoring sequence: 11 mins; Sexton pen 3-0; 40: Steenson pen 3-3; 54: Sexton pen 6-3; 65: Steenson pen 6-6; 74: Sexton pen 9-6.
LEINSTER: I Madigan; A Conway, B ODriscoll, F McFadden, I Nacewa; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen (capt), D Browne, K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: H van der Merwe for Healy, D Toner for Browne (both 54 mins), S Cronin for Strauss (66 mins). Not used: J Hagan, L Auvaa, J Murphy, I Boss, F Carr.
EXETER CHIEFS: L Arscott; I Whitten, P Dollman, J Shoemark, M Jess; G Steenson, H Thomas, B Sturgess, S Alcott, C Rimmer, T Hayes (capt), J Hanks, T Johnson, J Scaysbrook, R Baxter. Replacements: D Mumm for Johnson, W Chudley for Thomas, S Naqelevuki for Shoemark (both 54 mins), C Whitehead for Alcott, I Mieres for Steenson (both 66 mins), B Moon for Sturgess, A Muldowney for Hanks (both 72 mins), C Budgen for Rimmer (76 mins).
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FFR).
