Click here for my pre-match HarpinBoo recording "Warriors, Wishes & Welcomes"
So it’s a new season, one that’s leading to a World Cup.
Though you had a pretty good campaign last year, Sean Cronin’s better one saw you fall to Number 3 in Ireland’s pecking order at hooker.
Also, at your province, there’s a South African trying to get himself Irish qualified. He gets picked ahead of you in the opening game, and has a solid first half.
Not to mention the fact that your team has built a handy 10-point lead, though when you take the field momentum is starting to swing towards the home side.
So wouldn’t you think the LAST thing you’d want to do in those circumstances is to throw a few digs in one of your first rucks and get yourself sinbinned, lucky not to be sent off???
There were several things about Leinster’s second half display at Firhill Arena which contributed to the result- inability to retain possession, Luke Fitzgerald's wobbly return to action at 15, responding to the score-levelling try by bringing on Eamonn Sheridan for his first cap-but every time I think about this result I keep going back to John Fogarty’s 50th minute brainfart.
In no way do I hold Isa Nacewa responsible for this defeat despite his last minute drop goal miss. Simple fact of the matter is, we shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place.
Even though the halftime lead we had built had as much to do with a Keystone-cops-like Glasgow defence as it did our impressive moves going forward, if there was one time you most certainly do NOT want to go a man down, it was then. I know things happen in rucks and something was probably done on him, but he should certainly know better than to react that way.
Now of course, credit must go to the home side. Not only did they turn their defensive fortunes 360 degrees but they also discovered when it counted that Duncan Weir was a more worthy recipient of Dan Parks’ number 10 jumper than starter Ruaidhri Jackson.
But on a weekend which saw wins for the other three Irish provinces, Joe Schmidt is going to have adapt to the IRFU protection system pretty damn quick or his team is going to have a lot of catching up to do in the Magners League with the in-form Cardiff Blues coming to Dublin next week and a couple of away matches to follow.
We all know how the team can play with its stars, but this season it’s going to have to be able to produce the goods without them and that’s just something we have to get used to.
As for Fogs, I have a feeling the citing commissioner is going to grant him a few weeks to reflect on things before he gets a chance to redeem himself on the pitch. Here’s hoping he can use the time wisely.
