According to Sky, this was a good result for Leinster.
Seemingly, we managed to eke out a bonus point despite powerful displays from the likes of Josh Lewsey and now, “all” we have to do is win at home to Edinburgh next Saturday lunchtime and we’re in the quarterfinals.
Does it come as a shock to you that I see things a tad differently?
Did Lewsey really play well or was our tackling inept?
Is it feasible to expect a team to score four tries when for the last 160 minutes of competitive rugby they didn’t even look like scoring one?
Are we really somehow meant to feel good about a performance in a season-defining game which kicked off with three conceded penalties for hands in the ruck in the first twenty minutes???
Now in the second half, we DID show a lot of grit and determination on the defensive side of the ball, particularly from Bernard Jackman. But let’s be clear – this was a weakened Wasps team, coming up against what began as a full-strength Leinster one.
There was only one player out there who looked as though he was up for creating scoring chances, and that was Luke Fitzgerald. I doubt he was given the ball by his team-mates more than once or twice.
If it were down to me, when Drico was forced to come off, I would have done two things differently. First, I’d have stuck D’Arcy on the wing (seeing as how that’s where he has played since his return from injury) and moved Luke into the centre. Second, I would have left Drico on the bench and give the new centre partnership time to work together for the rest of the game.
But it can’t work like that, can it? How could we POSSibly sacrifice our famous number 13 so soon after his 30th birthday?
I would have LOVED to have gotten George Hook appraisal after full-time, but sadly we’re denied that by Sky’s curiously and shamefully holding the rights to coverage on these shores. When O’Driscoll came off, at least three minutes ticked by before they deigned to tell us who had actually replaced him.
Oliver Cromwell had more sympathy for Irish interests.
Going back to our performance, or lack of one, I don’t know how much longer we can go on anticipating greatness from this squad of players when they so often fail to perform within the bounds of reason, let alone their ability. Just HOW stupid was O’Kelly’s stamp on Vickery’s head? How lucky can you be not to get a red card?
Whether it’s Michael Cheika that is to blame, or the IRFU’s control over the provinces, or the players themselves…Leinster is simply a collection of individual personalities worrying more about their past glories than they are about potential future ones.
They certainly can’t be called a team.
