Leinster moreorless clinched the Magners Celtic League title by completing the double over Munster in a soaking yet wonderfully attended RDS on Saturday night.
Yes, some of a red-hewn persuasion might well be tempted to say ‘it’s only the League’ the way that all-non Tipperary folk are in hurling circles currently, but losing twice in five months to Leinster still hurts.
Leinster fans have every right to be pleased with their lot, but the gap between producing the goods in the Celtic League and the European Cup remains considerable – and there’s no getting away from that.
By not boxing clever in the final minutes of their away ERC defeat to Toulouse, and being undone by bogey team Edinburgh, Leinster came up short in Europe again this season.
It may not be fair, but if a team en route to the league crown didn’t drop a point all season long, their season would still be ultimately judged by how they did in Europe.
In this respect, as their European ranking indicates, Munster remain the standard bearer for all opponents, including Michael Cheika’s men.
And while Leinster have shown considerable qualities this spring, with the improvement in their pack greatly enhancing their potency, they’ve yet to repeatedly click when the temperature has gone up a few notches in Europe.
The team selected by Declan Kidney for Saturday’s match, just a week after another Herculean European display, told all how seriously this fixture was taken by the Munster coach.
Be it for a trophy which Munster still had a chance of winning at kick-off, or if there was nothing more than bragging rights at stake, both teams would still leave everything on the line.
The hits at Ballsbridge were enormous, as Leinster’s pack disrupted Munster’s fluency in the tight and at the set-piece. Bernard Jackman had a stormer, his darts finding blue shirts all night long at the lineout.
The same couldn’t be said for Jerry Flannery, but credit should be given to Leinster’s pack as opposed to maligning the Munster hooker’s performance all that much.
For the second time in five months, it was Leinster’s pack, aided by the efforts of Felipe Contepomi and Jonathan Sexton that got the better of a slow burning Munster.
Munster simply conceded too many penalties and while Rua Tipoki was unfairly sin binned, Donncha O’Callaghan teetered on the brink of a carding before he was replaced by Paul O’Connell.
Most of the better performers wore Leinster jerseys at the RDS; with the league winners-elect playing on the front foot for most of another attritional 80 minutes, which featured a seven minute stoppage following Peter Stringer’s injury.
Thankfully, the scrum half was discharged from Saint Vincent’s Hospital on Sunday with a clean bill of health.
Ronan O’Gara’s injury was, needless to say, the greatest source of worry following Saturday’s defeat, during which he was withdrawn due to a sore knee.
Full news of the extent of the injury won’t be disclosed until this paper is on the news stands, but let’s hope for good news ahead of Sunday week’s European Cup semi-final.
Speaking of Europe, Saracens were on the end of a Premiership trimming at the hands of Gloucester at Kingsholm last Saturday, a performance which incensed coach Alan Gaffney. Something tells me that Gaffney’s boys won’t be quite so porous at the Ricoh Arena.
A decade ago, to suggest that 18,000-odd people would spend a wet Saturday at the home of the Dublin Horse Show watching interpro rugby would have raised eyebrows and questions about the forecaster’s sanity.
But it says much for the outstanding efforts of both provincial teams over the past decade that Munster/Leinster is now big business in whatever they play.
And who would ever have thought that an interpro fixture would attract more spectators than either National Hurling League semi-final held over the same weekend?
All that this proves is that the fan base of rugby is now extending well beyond its old boundaries and that can only be a good thing.
It was regrettable to see Munster Rugby close its online forum last week, given how useful a ‘meeting point’ it proved for fans over the years, particularly when it came to trips ‘out foreign’.
The input of opposition supporters in providing input on watering holes, grub spots and accommodation (usually the order fans think in when it comes to away trips) proved particularly useful.
“Various efforts have been made over the past number of years to moderate/monitor the forum in order that those who have engaged in reasonable robust debate could continue to do so,” posted Munster media officer Pat Geraghty last Friday.
“Regretfully we have not managed to eliminate the minority element who use the cloak of anonymity to ridicule and deride.”
Geraghty added: “Although fully recognising that the vast majority of contributors use the facility responsibly, there are unfortunately a few whose comments are offensive both to the people who operate the site, Munster Branch officials and the Munster players themselves.”
It’s a shame to see the forum shutting down, but it’s even more shameful to think that so-called supporters of the game would decide to take pot-shots beyond the point of scurrilous at players, officials or anyone for that matter.
Meanwhile, Waterford magician Keith Barry will prove it’s not just 15-stone powerhouses who can claim ‘good hands’ when appearing at the Munster Rugby Awards at the Silversprings Moran Hotel, Cork on Saturday, May 10th.
RTE Radio Sport’s Michael Corcoran will MC the night in which the province’s high achievers shall be saluted for the efforts over the past year. Tables of 10 cost €3,000 and bookings can be made by calling 021 4323563 or Michael O’Brien at 087 2129999.
