[Update Mar 26, 2014 : This week for our archive slot we look ahead to this weekend’s big derby at The Palindrome by looking back to their first meeting there back in 2010. Up to the closing stages of this match most of us still had our doubts about how positive an influence Joe Schmidt would be on in Irish rugby…]
During the week, Brian O’Driscoll was asked what he thought about suggestions that the players hadn’t shown much interest this season.
He proceeded to lash out at people who say such things, making his own suggestion that they it’s easy for them sit in their armchairs and criticise when they don’t know what’s really going on.
Naturally, when you say something like that, you have to back it up with a good performance in your next match. Believe me, even if I am one of those armchair critics, I’m delighted to have been proven wrong in my final score prediction for last night, and how fitting it was that it was he who got the clinching try right in front of where I was seated at the Aviva Stadium.
Shortly before the try, when BOD chucked a no-look offload into touch rather than to Luke Fitzgerald two paces behind, it seemed to be the final straw. Much like our first four outings this season, we had a lion’s (Laighean’s ?) share of possession, only to cough it up time after time after time. And with the new law interpretations favouring the attacking side, such poor ball retention won’t get you anywhere.
Luckily for us Varley committed the heinous crime of a short crooked dart and we had it back. This time perfect pass-timing by Reddan led to an equally perfect execution of the no-look pass by O’Brien and Mr Triskaidekaphobia himself did the rest.
There seems to be some disagreement over man of the match…the stadium experts gave it to O’Brien, TG4’s to the try-scorer, but I’d like to give a broader view of our first five games of the season and name Isa Nacewa. He’s not a ten, and he’s never claimed to be. Sure, he fluffed the opening kickoff, and sure, he later cost us vital ground kicking straight into touch.
But all of that must surely be forgotten when you consider the pressure he was under to convert that try Saturday night. With O’Gara on the park and less than 10 minutes left, the difference between a 2- and a 4-point lead was immense, and though BOD had brought it round before touching down, it was still on the wrong side for a right-footer, yet the Fijian international hit it straight and true.
Of course there were other strong performances throughout the XV…Heaslip proved a born leader, Shaggy turned back the clock with a solid outing, Toner showed signs of Leo Cullen’s influence in the lineout (pic), and the Jonny10/Reddan combo provided the spark that ignited our backline when they came on just before the hour mark.
Possession keeping aside, yes we did well in the most part and for once remained competitive for the entire 80 minutes, but I’m not sure I’d go as far as to say our defensive mojo is fully back despite Munster’s try-drought against us being extended to a whopping 406 minutes.
I wanted to be able to use some eloquent prose along the lines of “the ghost Kurt McQuilkin’s coaching talent resonated throughout the Leinster defense in the closing stages”, but it has to be said, the score remaining unchanged for the last 10 minutes had as much to do with the referee’s generous application of the crossing and knock-forward laws as it did with our tackling & jackling.
And it culminated with a shocking lapse of concentration by Tomás O’Leary when he failed to ask the ref if there was time for a lineout and kicked for touch to end the match.
Some will laugh at this statement, but hand on heart it gives me no pleasure to say that our southern rivals were poor on Saturday night. What amazed me was that in the first twenty minutes, when you’re supposed to signal your intent, I saw no real signs of an offensive gameplan?
One minute O’Gara was attempting a drop goal, which seems a sensible option if your intention is to keep the scoreboard ticking over at every opportunity, but not long afterwards he was opting for a kick to the corner rather than a kickable penalty. Basically, all they really had going forward was Ronan’s boot.
As I said in my pre-match podcast, they really should have been up for this contest and they weren’t, and I’m not saying that to be mean, I’m saying it because I feel we as Leinster fans have to be mindful of the ramifications of our success with both teams in stinkers of Heineken Cup pools starting next Saturday.
Now don’t get me wrong, even without the final score, it was a thoroughly entertaining night of rugby, great for the game in this country considering there was probably as many people there on the night as there were at both Glasgow and Edinburgh combined all last season in the Magners League.
But if you’re a purist, you’ll have to admit Messrs Schmidt and McGahan have lots of work to do on the training pitch to get their squads ready for the coming weeks. Not that I’m saying Ulster with their more favourable draw are the only Irish province with a hope mind you, however well the opposition are doing at home…neither Racing Métro nor the LettinOn Irish will be taking anything for granted that’s for sure.
Can’t let this post go by without mentioning Mafi’s two horrendous tackles...where we were sitting we didn’t see the one on D’Arcy as it happened but on reviewing the match it was even worse that that on Kearney which saw him in the bin. He really should be cited and I’d be saying the same were it one of our players. Those challenges can end a career…as you can see in the pic he’s not even looking at the player he’s chopping down.
As for the Aviva Stadium, I was impressed, but more because of the atmosphere provided by the fans than by the structure itself. It will serve its purpose for the province as a revenue-raiser for big matches like these, but I’ll always prefer the surroundings at the OarDeeEsh.
And in that very stadium in Ballsbridge I’ll be next Saturday as yet another European adventure gets underway. The euphoria and hangover are already gone from the weekend…time for the lads to knuckle down and make me regret paying heed to George Hook’s doom and gloom by sticking the words “for now” in my write-up’s headline. JLP
He proceeded to lash out at people who say such things, making his own suggestion that they it’s easy for them sit in their armchairs and criticise when they don’t know what’s really going on.
Naturally, when you say something like that, you have to back it up with a good performance in your next match. Believe me, even if I am one of those armchair critics, I’m delighted to have been proven wrong in my final score prediction for last night, and how fitting it was that it was he who got the clinching try right in front of where I was seated at the Aviva Stadium.
Shortly before the try, when BOD chucked a no-look offload into touch rather than to Luke Fitzgerald two paces behind, it seemed to be the final straw. Much like our first four outings this season, we had a lion’s (Laighean’s ?) share of possession, only to cough it up time after time after time. And with the new law interpretations favouring the attacking side, such poor ball retention won’t get you anywhere.
Luckily for us Varley committed the heinous crime of a short crooked dart and we had it back. This time perfect pass-timing by Reddan led to an equally perfect execution of the no-look pass by O’Brien and Mr Triskaidekaphobia himself did the rest.
There seems to be some disagreement over man of the match…the stadium experts gave it to O’Brien, TG4’s to the try-scorer, but I’d like to give a broader view of our first five games of the season and name Isa Nacewa. He’s not a ten, and he’s never claimed to be. Sure, he fluffed the opening kickoff, and sure, he later cost us vital ground kicking straight into touch.
But all of that must surely be forgotten when you consider the pressure he was under to convert that try Saturday night. With O’Gara on the park and less than 10 minutes left, the difference between a 2- and a 4-point lead was immense, and though BOD had brought it round before touching down, it was still on the wrong side for a right-footer, yet the Fijian international hit it straight and true.
Of course there were other strong performances throughout the XV…Heaslip proved a born leader, Shaggy turned back the clock with a solid outing, Toner showed signs of Leo Cullen’s influence in the lineout (pic), and the Jonny10/Reddan combo provided the spark that ignited our backline when they came on just before the hour mark.
Possession keeping aside, yes we did well in the most part and for once remained competitive for the entire 80 minutes, but I’m not sure I’d go as far as to say our defensive mojo is fully back despite Munster’s try-drought against us being extended to a whopping 406 minutes.
I wanted to be able to use some eloquent prose along the lines of “the ghost Kurt McQuilkin’s coaching talent resonated throughout the Leinster defense in the closing stages”, but it has to be said, the score remaining unchanged for the last 10 minutes had as much to do with the referee’s generous application of the crossing and knock-forward laws as it did with our tackling & jackling.
And it culminated with a shocking lapse of concentration by Tomás O’Leary when he failed to ask the ref if there was time for a lineout and kicked for touch to end the match.
Some will laugh at this statement, but hand on heart it gives me no pleasure to say that our southern rivals were poor on Saturday night. What amazed me was that in the first twenty minutes, when you’re supposed to signal your intent, I saw no real signs of an offensive gameplan?
One minute O’Gara was attempting a drop goal, which seems a sensible option if your intention is to keep the scoreboard ticking over at every opportunity, but not long afterwards he was opting for a kick to the corner rather than a kickable penalty. Basically, all they really had going forward was Ronan’s boot.
As I said in my pre-match podcast, they really should have been up for this contest and they weren’t, and I’m not saying that to be mean, I’m saying it because I feel we as Leinster fans have to be mindful of the ramifications of our success with both teams in stinkers of Heineken Cup pools starting next Saturday.
Now don’t get me wrong, even without the final score, it was a thoroughly entertaining night of rugby, great for the game in this country considering there was probably as many people there on the night as there were at both Glasgow and Edinburgh combined all last season in the Magners League.
But if you’re a purist, you’ll have to admit Messrs Schmidt and McGahan have lots of work to do on the training pitch to get their squads ready for the coming weeks. Not that I’m saying Ulster with their more favourable draw are the only Irish province with a hope mind you, however well the opposition are doing at home…neither Racing Métro nor the LettinOn Irish will be taking anything for granted that’s for sure.
Can’t let this post go by without mentioning Mafi’s two horrendous tackles...where we were sitting we didn’t see the one on D’Arcy as it happened but on reviewing the match it was even worse that that on Kearney which saw him in the bin. He really should be cited and I’d be saying the same were it one of our players. Those challenges can end a career…as you can see in the pic he’s not even looking at the player he’s chopping down.
As for the Aviva Stadium, I was impressed, but more because of the atmosphere provided by the fans than by the structure itself. It will serve its purpose for the province as a revenue-raiser for big matches like these, but I’ll always prefer the surroundings at the OarDeeEsh.
And in that very stadium in Ballsbridge I’ll be next Saturday as yet another European adventure gets underway. The euphoria and hangover are already gone from the weekend…time for the lads to knuckle down and make me regret paying heed to George Hook’s doom and gloom by sticking the words “for now” in my write-up’s headline. JLP
