RUGBY:PLENTY OF wind but no water was the story from Belfast last night. The lack of hot showers at Ravenhill meant the victorious Leinster squad had to amble onto their coach for what promised to be a journey home that had some interesting aromas floating around the cabin.
We doubt they allowed it dampen their spirits. Depending what side of the fence you are standing this was either massively encouraging or a depressingly stagnant performance. Leinster won comfortably with a domineering backrow, one with an average age of 21, as Ulster admittedly sullied the industry that has yielded five successive wins to this juncture.
“Exceptionally disappointed,” said Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin. “We had a little chat in the dressingroom there. We got bullied in the first half. For the first 20-25 minutes we were dominated in contact and the tackle.
“You could say a bit of complacency (crept in) after our two good wins against Bath but certainly we are not happy with the performance; the players are not happy with it either. It was simply not good enough.”
Johann Muller, who has captained the Springboks and deputises for Ulster in the continued absence of Rory Best, concurred: “We’ve only got ourselves to blame. The first 20 minutes we got bullied as a pack of forwards, as a whole team. The mind is an unbelievable thing. If you are off the boil by five per cent it shows out on that field. The beauty of rugby is you get a chance to address it a few days later (at Thomond Park).”
McLaughlin informed us Ulster have a “tradition” of letting visiting teams start with the wind at their backs. Clearly, it is a psychological ploy that carries little weight when European champions visit.
The only injury concern for Leinster centred around Brian O’Driscoll but the Irish captain was only replaced due to a tightened calf. For Leinster coach Joe Schmidt the past month or so has seen his impact and coaching philosophy seep into public consciousness via team performances.
“My goal is to get them to play well,” said Schmidt. “Try to construct something that suits the way they play. We showed a lot of enthusiasm out there. Not always accurate but enthusiastic. I think the guys who played against Clermont challenged the guys to reach the same type of level. I challenged the guys who played against Clermont to repeat that level.”
Seán O’Brien clearly bought into all of this with a fantastic two-try performance from the number eight that puts him strongly in the fray for an international call-up in February most likely on the flank. We thought it fitting to let his understatement of the year be the final comment: “Ravenhill is not an easy place to come and win. We came up and did our job.”
And then they got straight back on the bus.
