Leinster-38 Racing Métro-22

Click here for my pre-match HarpinBoo recording “Racing, Rucking et Reffing”

MAGNIFIQUE!!!

Despite our dodgy form over the month of September, you could see what our rookie coach was bringing to the table – a quick offloading game that needed just one thing to make it virtually unstoppable…the ability to retain the ball after a tackle.

It makes sense when you think of it…we’re expecting these players to run at full speed into a challenge and get the timing JUST right to offload at the eleventh hour…while at the same time remembering that if the pass isn’t on, they must be sure and turn back towards their own team after the tackle to get the next phase going.

And in each of Leinster's Magners League matches to date, even the ones we managed to win, it was clear we had some kinks to iron out. Having watched every second of those five matches I’d safely say that if you took away half of our own handling errors we’d have four if not five in the win column right now.

On Saturday at the RDS, we got our first taste of the Joe Schmidt era at full tilt, and strange though it may seem, for me, the day’s performance was set up by Sebastien Chabal’s first minute challenge on Jamie Heaslip.

Everyone seems to be focusing on the power of the hit. I’d be more inclined to focus on the fact that the Irish No8 still managed to comfortably place the ball down…if he only had forwards near him for support rather than spread out anticipating a pass, we’d have kept the phases going. And to be honest, apart from his lineout prowess (pic), the larger than life French international didn’t offer much else for the rest of the day.

Not that the possession yips didn’t affect us at all…once Racing scored their try to pull within seven thanks to a combination of a good line by Vuvuzela (at least thats what I call him) and a popped BOD hamstring, our September gremlins seemed to return. For the first twenty minutes of the second half I sat in my seat in the Grandstand and shouted over and over again “JUST KEEP THE BLOODY BALL!!!”. OK, maybe I used a word other than bloody, but you get the idea.

And not that the result was totally thanks to our own achievements either…Racing’s backline were struggling badly, not just because they had their 3rd choice number 10 out there, but also because their scrumhalf Nicolas Durand was repeatedly providing poor service from the base of rucks and scrums.

In reality, despite their impressive start to their Top 14 campaign, there was only one player clad in light blue on the day who seemed likely to produce points from start to finish - that was Francois Steyn, who provided the crowd with one or two trademark effortless yet incredulously long place kicks (pic) to keep his team within touching distance of a bonus point for a while.

However, when it comes to the rest of our progress in this pool, we certainly won’t want to be going to Paris in January needing a win to make the last eight of the tournament, that’s for sure.

But enough of the George Hook-esque negativity (my title is a tribute to his row with Popey on RTEs highlight show). I was treated to five incredible tries on Saturday, each of which was a testament to the brand of rugby brought to the club by coach Schmidt.

Special mention for the tries must go to Jonny Sexton’s needle-threading pass to Kearney for the second, and Richardt Strauss’ extremely un-hooker-like support of Luke Fitzgerald for the thrid.

And to those who fear BODs injury may be detrimental to the squad who now face Saracens, just take a look at Fergus McFadden’s icing on the cake right at the end (main pic) which took place LITERALLY before my very eyes. He may not have 100+ caps, but he definitely can shift!

All in all a perfect start to our Heineken Cup campaign – off to Wembley we go next Saturday. Now he’s shown he can get his squad to this level, Joe must now show us he can keep them there.

******

Elsewhere for the Irish provinces over the weekend, Ulster did the business as expected on Friday against Macaroni Rugby (albeit with the help of a Nick Williams brainfart), while Munster and Connacht will have differing feelings about their defeats. The Westerners will surely be gutted to lose to a Super10 side, while Tony McGahan's men relied on some O'Gara magic to snatch a last second bonus point at the Madjeski. Despite that consolation which could prove vital in Pool Three, I'd have concerns about Munster re: discipline. After Mafi's transgressions last week, you can only imagine what Tuitupou was thinking when he upended Hodgson...their squad is depleted enough as it is with injuries, yet now he'll probably be granted some bench time from the Citing Commissioner as well. Also they were way too mouthy with the ref after he awarded them a penalty in the second half...ROG did well to keep his composure to slot the kick, but he still should have kept his gob shut. Even with so much talent missing they have plenty of experience to draw on to get out of that pool without losing the head.