Jonny Wilkinson – the guy who wasn’t knighted – was more hyped up than anyone. Tracksuit on, having finished his backroom team role with Toulon, it was as if he was auditioning all over again for the fist-pumping, expletive-ridden video the French side once put out to show the other, darker side to their star out-half.
Okay, so there were no expletives this time; but anyone watching the truncated preview ahead of the Toulon-Leinster game on Sky Sports were left in little doubt that Wilkinson retained the passion that he once released on the pitch. Television punditry isn't quite as demanding but it helps pay the bills and Jonny was only too willing to give his opinion through red-tinted glasses.
Shane Horgan was on hand to give some blue-tinted perspective, but even he couldn't resist having a chuckle with presenter Alex Payne in observing Wilkinson's hand-wringing and also listening to his million-miles- a-minute chat. If this is how hyped-up the backroom guys get, what about the actual players?
“I was concerned [before], the form hasn’t been there,” said Horgan of Leinster’s prospects, “I’m even more concerned listening to Jonny and the energy he brings.”
The actual preview to the Champions Cup semi-final was reduced to what seemed like a mere snippet due to the over-run of some Scottish cup match, but, if piles of prepared preview reel were consigned to the bin, the rugby producers ended up having the last laugh as the Toulon-Leinster game went the distance and beyond into extra-time and had some light-entertainment towards the end when a poor cat wandered on to the pitch.
Only, nobody in Leinster blue was doing much laughing at the end.
The day of moral victories doesn't exist for Ireland's rugby teams in this new era – even for a team the Sky commentators reminded us were "longshot underdogs" and "massive underdogs" – and the Leinsterman doing the least laughing of all was the unfortunate Ian Madigan, who TV cameras zoned in on huddled under a hooded jacket pitch-side as the reality of his misplaced pass hit home.
It was a good piece of camerawork, showing there was no place to hide.
Madigan was the central player in the drama for many good reasons, firstly getting the sympathy of commentator Miles Harrison when facing up to a kick from near the sideline to level the match. The penalty had been awarded for a neck choke on Richardt Strauss which Harrison described wonderfully as the player “having both arms flapping around like a wild chicken saying, ‘help, help’.”
As Madigan prepared to kick, with the noise levels going beyond anything human ears should have to endure, Harrison showed his sympathy. “Good luck mate.” Madigan didn’t need any luck. “All to do with skill,” said Harrison in tipping the cap to the kicker.
It was a game of tight margins. Including one early on when Bakkies Botha took care of Cian Healy. "That is so cynical, that has to be a yellow card all the way," remarked co-commentator Stuart Barnes. No card, though. "Wayne Barnes was very lenient there," said Barnes.
If this was a game of tight margins, so too was the margin in dispensing credit and criticism.
Poor Ian went from hero to zero with his wild throw, described as a “loopy, old mis-pass,” which ultimately was the difference in deciding the semi-final.
Of all the players to be gifted the pass, Bryan Habana was not the one Leinster’s tired players wanted to see sprinting away. “You do not give it to Bryan Habana, not in those situations. Agonising for Leinster, it was like the action replay happened in real time. There is nothing slow motion about Habana when he gets his hands on the ball.”
When it was all over, Jamie Heaslip found it difficult to find the right words. In truth, there are no right words for moral victories. Defeat always tastes lousy.
