All the ins and outs could be distractions but the Leinster train keeps on rolling, writes Keego
Welcome to blog number 40, another week gone by as we race to the end of the season.
The season is really hotting up as we get towards the end of it. Most years it ends with a whimper.
Last Friday Leinster beat their bogey team, that being the Ospreys. Year after year I have had to sit through losses against them. Heartbreakingly so. Last Friday was a bit different. Leinster where on the front foot from minute one. The Ospreys where playing for a top 4 spot, but they were never in the game.
Dan Biggar missed an early penalty which set the tone for the opposition. That miss was compounded by the first of three tries for Andrew Conway. The blue army on twitter has gone mad now saying that he should have been kept. While he is a good player, he is not better than good. Leinster need great players in the squad, he will be a good addition to Munster next year.
Who will be missed by Leinster is Jonathan Sexton. I was ok with his leaving because of Madigan and his award winning season that is still in progress. But Sexto really is a different level. Madigan has the potential to be great, and I am sure he will be, but Sexton is great and is nearly legen – wait for it- dary! It was a great all round performance from the Blues, a lot of players got game time and really put the mental barrier of the Ospreys away for the future.
Onwards to Saturday and the Glasgow Warriors in the RDS. It is hard to see the Leinster train being derailed this season. The confidence along with the amount of players playing well at the same time might be too much for the Warriors. It is just a pity that Leinster weren’t able to put the foot down pre Christmas as usual as they are the second best team in Europe at the moment. They just didn’t play well enough in the colder months of 2012.
As usual the blue army were immense in the RDS on Friday as well as in the Laighin Out afterwards for the Isa Nacewa and Heinke Van Der Merwe Q&A afterwards. It was packed to say goodbye to the two lads. They both seemed genuinely sad to be leaving. We need to send them away with 2 winner’s medals.
The other big news is that our king Joe will be leaving us to take the green tracksuit duty from next season. It is fantastic for Ireland and I genuinely thought the IRFU would get the call wrong. He is the perfect candidate for the role and will have us playing inventive and dynamic rugby which will be seen from November onwards. We will be contenders now with this fresh approach.
With Joe leaving Matt O’Connor has been drafted into the blue tracksuit after years at Leicester. More will be known when the backroom team has been announced, but this is a good signing for Leinster. It will be tough to fill Joe’s boots, but we thought that when Cheika left us years ago. Onwards and upwards with O’Connor at the helm.
The double is still very much on; no team fancies their chances in the RDS. Ulster is so patchy that you never know which team will show up. The one thing you do know is that they are not a pressure team. They cannot handle the big occasion. This is the big plus that Leinster has in their locker.
Hopefully there is three more games left in the season this year, otherwise you will be missing out on my rants ;)
As usual, feel free to abuse / discuss this blog with me @nkeegan and for more of the same roll on over to www.thedailyclothesline.com
Until next week…
Keego (@nkeegan): Blogger, former professional wrestler, sometime attempted rugby player (@TheThirsty3rds), professional procrastinator and attempted musician with a fondness for long walks on the bar, tea and the couch. Opinionated Leinster fan and constant gardener. 
