You can’t win anything with kids. How wrong that Alan Hansen statement in August 1995 proved when those kids – Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers – became the foundation for Alex Ferguson second great Manchester United team
Of course, rugby is a vastly different proposition. Leo Cullen, the 38-year-old Leinster head coach, has named a young and inexperienced but not necessarily callow front five to take on a Bath side that pushed the undisputed champions of Europe to their limit last weekend in Toulon before losing 12-9.
Same Bath team that must win here to keep their European aspirations alive. Same Bath side that boasts a backline full of glistening, power-running internationals. And a pack led by immovable Springbok openside Francois Louw.
Cullen smiled and nodded towards Isa Nacewa when the lack of experience was laid at his feet yesterday but it’s up front that this understandable gamble could backfire badly.
There is the safety net of Seán O’Brien, Jack McGrath, Seán Cronin and Johnny Sexton on the bench. But still, you fear for the kids all clumped together in a pack that does at least include Mike McCarthy and Rhys Ruddock.
Deserve
“The guys who are getting their first starts deserve it,” Cullen explained. “The reality is we can’t qualify and it’s at home in the RDS.”
Valid reasoning and the bar stool expert has, since December, called for an opportunity to view the next generation.
Here it is. “I still think it will be a great occasion. Hopefully we will get a good crowd to support those guys because we would hope all of them have a huge future at this club.
“It’s great to give them the opportunity to play in such a big game. . .These guys are the future of this club.”
Again, makes sense. Michael Cheika and Joe Schmidt both did something similar in away Pro12 games over the years. But it does put enormous strain on Ian Madigan, Ben Te’o and Ruddock to lead the way.
If it’s a miscalculation, it will become evident early. The frontrow of Peter Dooley, James Tracy and Tadhg Furlong are all making their European starting debuts.
Thundering
If the setpiece struggles, as it did at The Rec in November, then expect George Ford to send Anthony Watson, Kyle Eastman and Jonathan Joseph thundering through the holes that will open in midfield.
There are few better wingers around than Matt Banahan and Semesa Rokoduguni to profit from such line-bursts.
Bath need a four-try bonus- point victory here and victory at home against Toulon to have any chance of making the quarter-finals. They come to face a largely unknown Leinster team that really should be overpowered and ruthlessly punished.
“We know we have some very good young players,” Cullen doth protest.
Curiosity demands a peak, but when it comes to rugby, you can’t win anything with kids.
LEINSTER: Z Kirchner; I Nacewa (capt), G Ringrose, B Te'o, D Kearney; I Madigan, L McGrath; P Dooley, J Tracy, T Furlong; R Molony, M McCarthy; R Ruddock, J van der Flier, J Murphy.
Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Moore, T Denton, S O'Brien, E Reddan, J Sexton, N Reid.
BATH: A Watson; S Rokoduguni, J Joseph, K Eastmond, M Banahan; G Ford, C Cook; M Lahiff, R Webber, D Wilson; S Hooper (capt), D Day; M Garvey, F Louw (capt), L Houston.
Replacements: R Batty, N Auterac, H Thomas, C Ewels, D Denton, J Evans, R Priestland, T Homer.
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France).
