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Filed under: Leo Cullen

Perfect stage for cullen to show world Cup worth

If you could have scripted a fixture to crown the season, this would most definitely have been it. And if anyone out there thinks that there is a single member of the new European champions dreading the trek to Limerick, then think again.

They could well lose this afternoon, but every single Leinster player will be licking his lips at the prospect of this Magners League Grand Final showdown at Thomond Park.

This is tribal rivalry at its very best -- a fixture where form is meaningless, where passion rules.

For Tony McGahan and Munster, it is a heaven-sent opportunity to turn over the top team in Europe and take the Magners League crown they clearly deserve, given that they finished 13 points clear in the table.

For Leinster coach Joe Schmidt, opportunity knocks to create history and complete the fairytale double in his first season in charge.

And then there is Ireland coach Declan Kidney, for whom the most perfect unofficial final trial unfolds before a full house, with a no-holds-barred encounter set to shed light on some World Cup selections.

Schmidt is right when he calls the Celtic final a much "tougher test" than the Heineken Cup decider. That is no slight on Northampton, just a statement of fact, given the ingredients.

Jealous

Munster are fresh, hungry and jealous -- as well as high on confidence, given their one-point win (24-23) in the home league fixture six weeks ago.

The fact that they didn't score a try and haven't in half a dozen attempts against their old rivals (an extraordinary statistic) may rankle, but they won't care a jot if Ronan O'Gara kicks them to victory this evening.

The Heineken Cup final was a classic, the best I have witnessed, but this evening's Celtic encounter also has all the right ingredients for a monumental encounter. It should replicate Cardiff for thrills and spills, with an intensity that is absolutely guaranteed.

The one-try game back in April was pure theatre and, irrespective of the outcome, I would settle for that again. One way or the other, we won't be disappointed -- take that as read.

So, what exactly can we expect?

A Leinster side that wants to win is coming to Limerick with the intention of ransacking a Munster side that has to win. With 19 victories from 22 games in the regular league, the best team over the course of the marathon campaign is desperate to complete the job now.

I have mixed views on the play-off formula. When it was first introduced to the All-Ireland League, I felt it was unfair that the team that had proven it was the best, by finishing top of the table, had to win it again -- to be sure, to be sure.

The play-off system is now part and parcel of the professional game. It is not so much a necessary evil as an extension to the long-term planning when the initial team goals are set.

To draw comparison with long-distance running, it's about pacing, about planning for the season and selecting teams throughout the campaign (in regular league and play-offs) accordingly.

What is beyond dispute is that the two best teams in the competition by a mile (those finishing first and second in the table) have made it through to today's finale, with Munster deserving of home advantage.

The attendance would have been doubled if the final had been switched to the Aviva Stadium, but that would have been unfair in the extreme -- unless the decision is made that the Grand Final should always be held in a predetermined venue (much like the Heineken).

We won't bother going through all the obvious unit and individual match-ups -- they are old hat at this stage. But, for some, the stakes are extremely high, given the switch in focus after today to New Zealand 2011.

Marcus Horan, Damien Varley, James Coughlan and Felix Jones all have a chance to lay down a World Cup marker.

For Leinster captain Leo Cullen, the stage is set to take on Donncha O'Callaghan and make it a case of either/or to partner Paul O'Connell in the second-row against the US Eagles in the World Cup opener.

Shane Horgan, Luke Fitzgerald and Fergus McFadden (who edges closer by the game) can all further their case for a place on the plane. So, too, Shane Jennings, whose half-time introduction at the Millennium Stadium last week certainly played a part in Leinster's remarkable turnaround.

He and Denis Leamy have so much to play for beyond the 'mere' result this afternoon. But make no mistake, the result is the be all and end all to putting the cap on this fulfilling Irish rugby season.

And please may we be spared the hype of heaping more pressure on the relatively young shoulders of Jonathan Sexton in advocating him for future captaincy.

He has enough on his plate, as O'Gara will be reminding him again, without this pressure at a still premature stage in his burgeoning career. In a sense, current Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll did him few favours with his throwaway line in the post-match interview last week about half-time speakers.

Sexton's focus is on copper-fastening his hold on the Ireland No 10 jersey and that's what he will do in ensuring a steady Leinster course by deeds not words today. It is his way and I doubt he will deviate one iota.

As to the outcome? Both teams will turn up with equal mindsets. If each delivers to form, then Leinster's greater creativity could see them home.

It should be something special. Bring it on.

- Tony Ward

Irish Independent

via independent.ie

Alan Quinlan: What was I thinking?

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via independent.ie

 

You b*****. What the f*** are you at?" My hand is slapped away.

I'm looking at Leo Cullen but I'm not paying much attention to him or what he's shouting. Somebody's always shouting in the middle of a game like this. It's another way of saying, "Hello sir, how are you today? Would you like a bang on the ear or a kick in the arse to go with your double moccachino?"

I should know. I've been slapped, raked, thumped, kicked, pulled, yanked and stamped on enough times to understand how this game is played. Bad language is a helluva nicer way to be insulted than most rugby alternatives.

So, Leo Cullen calling me names or bawling me out in the middle of a Munster-Leinster Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park isn't something that's going to stop me in my tracks.

Besides, he can talk. He's just come barrelling through our maul, trying to pull it down moments after I lifted Paulie in the line-out.

I know Leo because Leo's like me -- he's disruptive and very competitive in close combat. He has his job to do. I have my mine.

Weak

This is what Munster pay me to do. This is what the Munster fans demand I do. They don't expect me to go weak at the knees at the sight of one of 'Les Blues' coming through the middle. This is it. This is what I do.

I am the reinforcements.

He has Paul around the neck, so I grab him and pull him backwards. I want to pull him sideways. But what can I do? I'm a strong man, and so is he, and he has momentum on his side.

I need to get him out of here. We need this maul. We need to seize the initiative. We need to put pressure on them. We need to stir our fans. We need to score. We need to get back in the game. We need to win. We need, we need, we need ...

I need to stop Leo so I reach across for his shirt and he swipes my hand and curses at me. So what? What do you expect him to say? "Hi, Quinny. Tough old game, what? Best of luck there, old boy." Hardly.

So, I don't pay much heed. You often get grabbed around the neck or pulled or obstructed. There's always somebody shouting at you. Or you're doing the shouting yourself. So, I'm thinking, 'screw it'.

I know I made contact with his face, but there wasn't much in it. After all, I know what was in my own mind, what my intentions had been. I hadn't intended to hurt him or damage him around the face, so I don't expect any big deal to be made of it.

But I know I made contact, so I tell myself, "Just be careful, like."

Nobody likes to get their face pulled at or touched in a game. I'm the same, so I wouldn't do something like that.

Why would I start doing that at this stage in my career? Going for somebody's eyes. Why would I do that? I'm 34. I'm in the last couple of years of my career.

I have a tough reputation and I catch a lot of flak for being mouthy and for giving away stupid penalties but I'm not a dirty player.

In the days, weeks, months and year ahead, people would ask me about this moment, "What was in your mind? What were you thinking?"

What was I thinking? I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking, "Leo you b*****, you're going to illegally pull down the maul and I'm going to stop you."

Did I think, "Now, if I angle my fingers just right, I might be able to gouge Leo's eyeballs, cause him a serious, long-term injury, possibly put him out of work, but I need to be careful because the ref is nearby and the TV cameras might pick it up"?

Did I think that? No.

There was no plan to grab for his face. It was just grab anywhere.

Careless, but not malicious.

When it happened, you know, I kind of knew my hand shouldn't have been there but I wasn't even in aggressive form. It was just a case of, "There could have been something in that."

But right there, in the moment, in the heat of battle, I didn't have time to dwell on that.

I don't think I did anything nasty.

Leo doesn't think I did anything nasty.

The ref doesn't think I did anything nasty.

Play away.

*****

It's a funny experience being in the public eye. People think they own you, that you are public property.

At the very least they think that they're entitled to ask you questions about one of the most vitally important moments in your life. They don't consider that they are asking you about the very thing that has plunged you into an abyss, in which you're struggling to breathe.

In the midst of it all, they want to dwell on tiny points, which they think prove that I did or didn't deliberately gouge Leo Cullen.

One of their favourite questions is why I apologised to Leo after the game. As if saying sorry to him was proof that I felt guilty about it all myself and was blatantly trying to smooth things over ahead of a possible citing investigation.

But that wasn't the case at all, and I don't think Leo thought that way either.

I apologised to Leo because that's what I do. I just said to him that if there was anything in it, it wasn't intentional. I said, "Look, Jesus, I'm sorry for pulling your face there, I didn't mean anything." We shook hands and I wished him well in the final. It's in my nature to say sorry.

Over the years with both Munster and Ireland, the boys are always slagging me that I say, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." If I bumped off you in gym training, I'd probably come up to you and tell you 10 times, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry about that." Usually the response is delivered with a laugh: "Never worry, Quinny, don't worry about it."

So, saying sorry to Leo wasn't unusual.

I just told him, "Jesus, if I grabbed you in any awkward way there, that was unintended. Sorry about that and best of luck in the final." Leo didn't even remember what I was going on about. He made no reference to it.

Later, after I was cited, Leo wrote in his letter to the ERC Hearing that his reaction on the pitch was because my hand went across his face and that no player likes that in a game.

He didn't think I put my fingers in his eyes or touched his eyes.

Leo was brilliant about it and he's a tough guy, he's a tough player. He's taken plenty of swats and boots and kicks down through the years, he's a good player and I respect him. So, his reaction on the pitch didn't surprise me and I respected him a lot for how he acted and how he spoke afterwards.

It was good that he wasn't putting the boot in or telling the media that it had been deliberate or malicious. For me, personally, there was some comfort in what he said and how he acted -- he didn't point the finger.

But that didn't surprise me -- I'd have done the same thing. For me, what happens on the field should stay on the field. I've always shaken hands after the game, no matter what went on.

*****

I wouldn't say I'm over the Lions. I don't think I'll ever be over it. I think back over the last year a lot and wonder about how it might have been, of how it could have been...

*****

It was an unbelievably tense moment, like being back at school and waiting for your exam results -- you feel your entire world rests on the next few moments.

But then it happened. The chairman read out his findings and delivered his verdict. They believed it wasn't intentional, which was great, but I'd still be sanctioned. They imposed the minimum sanction, but that was still a 12-week ban starting from the day of the match.

That was it, my Lions dream was over. Sixty seconds was all it took for the chairman of the panel to tear my world apart with his ruling, but there was nothing to be done, just get out of there as quickly as possible and start dealing with it.

Ruth was there and, together, we walked outside into the glare of the TV cameras and the hue and cry of the press corps.

I'd known all along that the majority of the press weren't on my side -- I'd read some of the coverage in the newspapers soon after the match and a lot of it was very hard to take.

There were pieces written by people who I thought I knew better, but who highlighted the incident in a way which was completely at odds with how it had actually happened. I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I hadn't intentionally tried to do what some commentators were suggesting, but it was still a shock to pick up a national newspaper and see their accusations.

The Lions aspect made my case high-profile and, I suppose, some of them were being paid to give an opinion but it was still hard to accept.

I was angry that, in the eyes of some media commentators, I was guilty before I had a chance to prove myself innocent. I didn't believe my case was trial by media but I did think that there was a lot of pressure placed on the people making the decisions.

The Saturday following the verdict, I went to Ibiza with Ruth and AJ. It was great for us to get out of the media spotlight for a few days and spend some time with our son.

Red Blooded: The Alan Quinlan Story
Publisher: Irish Sports Publishing
Price: €19.99
Release Date: November 18

Irish Independent

via independent.ie

 

Kidney's crew - Autumn Internationals

WINNERS

Mike Ross -- A run of games for Leinster has showcased his scrummaging power and brought on the other aspects of his game.

Damien Varley -- Has made giant strides in the last 12 months, filling the considerable void created by Jerry Flannery's injury problems.

Devin Toner -- Another to benefit from game-time with Leinster, gets his chance due to Paul O'Connell's injury and delayed return of Leo Cullen.

John Muldoon -- Has made a strong return from injury sustained in the summer against the All Blacks.

Isaac Boss -- International return sparked by eye-catching displays for Leinster and the injury to Tomas O'Leary.

Johne Murphy -- Superb for Munster, versatility a valuable asset for Kidney.

Shane Horgan -- Strong showing against Saracens, experience and physicality still in demand.

losers

Jamie Hagan -- Shining for Connacht but loses out to familiarity and experience of Hayes.

Dan Tuohy -- Strong summer tour but has lacked opportunities with Ulster.

Shane Jennings -- Sean O'Brien's stunning form at open-side squeezes out fellow Leinster back-row.

Niall Ronan -- Not enough room for natural No 7 despite strong displays for Munster.

Fionn Carr -- Ireland's most exciting attacker misses out due to physicality focus for November.

Denis Hurley -- Just beginning to make his presence felt with Munster, but Horgan's experience wins out.

back soon

Leo Cullen -- A full 80 minutes this weekend could yet see second-row feature against South Africa.

Tomas O'Leary -- Hopefully back for latter part of series.

Luke Fitzgerald -- A key player who will be brought back in once his hip injury clears up.

Geordan Murphy -- Excellent for Leicester last weekend, English club commitments rule him out of South Africa opener.

FINGERS CROSSED

Jerry Flannery -- Cursed by calf injury, medical assessment will determine November involvement.

Irish Independent

via independent.ie

Leo's Leinster not looking far ahead

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via ercrugby.com

The Dubliners made it to the semi-finals last time out but Cullen believes the incredible quality of teams in Pool 2 means his side will have to employ the old cliché of taking one game at a time.

Leinster have been drawn alongside French Champions Clermont Auvergne, English Premiership runners up Saracens and big-spending Racing Metro Paris in one of the standout groups in this season's tournament.

And while Leinster's European pedigree has made them many people's group favourites, Cullen admits they could have been handed a far less complicated route to the knockout stages.

"Our group is so tough in Europe that it's very hard to look beyond those first two games. If we look too far past that, we could be out of the tournament," said Cullen, who lifted the continent's greatest club prize at Murrayfield 16 months ago.

"I think we really got a pretty raw deal with the group we got. I think it's probably one of the toughest pools there's ever been.

"If you look at the level of Clermont, Racing with the way they're operating, and Saracens, they're three pretty tough teams to come up against.

"The first five games in the Magners League are about getting in a half decent position in the league and going into Europe in good stead. Hopefully, we'll then have a few more players back by then."

Whether Cullen himself is one of those players remains to be seen.

The hugely influential second row is currently recovering from a shoulder injury and is as yet unsure of a return date.

Cullen's rehab is progressing nicely and he hopes to be back at some point in October but he admits that he's taking things one step at a time.

"It's going pretty well. It's a bit of a tedious road - you have your good weeks and your bad. Some weeks you hit a bit of a wall and can't really push on and other weeks you're flying through," added Cullen.

"I'm reassessing every couple of weeks so it's hard to put an exact time on when I'll be back but I hope it will be sometime in October. That probably leaves me a bit tight in terms of getting back to Europe, but we'll see.

"When you start getting back watching games, it gets a bit frustrating going along as a spectator and it's not ideal.

"But it'll be a decent pre-season for me in the end. I'm just trying to push on now and see where that gets me to. I'm happy with the direction I'm going - I'd just like to get there a bit quicker."

via ercrugby.com

Leinster Squad Update...

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Fergus McFadden in action against team-mate Jack McGrath during squad training
Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE

Stan Wright (Achilles), Leo Cullen (shoulder) and Kevin McLaughlin (shoulder/knee) remain long-term absentees while it is hoped that Shaun Berne (Achilles) will return to action in October...

via leinsterrugby.ie

 

Aside from a number of bumps and bruises the panel is unchanged from the pre-season friendly against Leicester Tigers in Welford Road last weekend.

Leinster are hopeful that Mike Ross (calf) will be available for selection for the Magners League opener in Firhill this Friday night. The Leinster and Ireland prop will train on Wednesday and a decision on his availability will be made when the team is announced after training on Wednesday afternoon.

Leinster’s international contingent continued their strength and conditioning programme this week and there’s a possibility that up to two Ireland players could be available, depending on the outcome of fitness tests within the squad.

 

 

via leinsterrugby.ie

 

ML Preview: Leinster

Isa Nacewa try v Exiles

 

Consistent: Isa Nacewa

Club name Leinster

 

 

- 2010/11 Season Preview -

 

Last season So close yet so far was the story for the Dubliners as a Heineken Cup semi-final exit and defeat in the Magners League final left something of a sour taste in the mouth. It was also Michael Cheika's last term at the helm before his move to Paris so it was a disappointing end to his five-year spell at Leinster - even if they did very well to make Europe's final four after losing to London Irish in Round One. However, it paints a picture of what Cheika brought to the RDS in his stint that they would be unhappy not to lift any silverware. Not a bad season at all for Leinster.

 

This season Like the other teams in Pool 2, Leinster will find European life very difficult alongside Clermont, Saracens and Racing-Metro. Quite simply this is the 'group of death' as the French champions meet finalists from England and the Magners League and it is very possible that 2010/11's competition winner could come from this Pool. The Dubliners have brought in a decent trio for the new season in Ed O'Donoghue, Isaac Boss and Heinke van der Merwe to replace the retired Mal O'Kelly, Chris Whitaker and now Cheetah CJ van der Linde. A promising year indeed.

 

Coach: Joe Schmidt coached Bay of Plenty in 2003/2004. While at the Steamers he won the Ranfurly Shield with victory over Auckland and enjoyed one successful title defence before losing to Canterbury. Schmidt joined Auckland Blues in 2004 and stayed there for three years, his final year saw the side knocked out in the semis. He then joined Clermont and finished Top 14 runners-up twice before winning the coveted title in 2010.

 

Captain: It's another campaign as leader for Leo Cullen in 2010/11 and he has been doing a stand-up job since he made the move from Leicester back in 2007. Cullen was born in Dublin which makes his job extra special to the 32-year-old, who combines well with Brian O'Driscoll.

 

One to watch: With so many Ireland starters in their back-line, much more responsibility will be laid at the door of Shane Horgan and Isa Nacewa this season. The former was arguably getting back to his best form in the second part of 2009/10 while the versatility of Nacewa will be key.

 

In: Ed O'Donoghue (Ulster), Isaac Boss (Ulster), Heinke van der Merwe (Golden Lions), Joe Schmidt - Head Coach (Clermont Auvergne).

 

Out:CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs), Simon Keogh (Released), Chris Keane (Released) Malcolm O'Kelly (Retired), Girvan Dempsey (Retired), Bernard Jackman (Retired), Michael Cheika - Head Coach (Stade Francais), Chris Whittaker - Team Manager (Stade Francais), Alan Gaffney - Backs Coach (IRFU), Kurt McQuilkin - Defence Coach (Retired), Kyle Tonetti (Sale Sharks).

 

Home ground: Royal Dublin Society - capacity of 18,500

 

Travel connections: By train you would take the Dublin DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) service also operates from the City Centre to Ballsbridge. By bus take the RDS is serviced by bus routes number 7, 5 and 45, which stop outside the Main Hall Entrance to the stadium on Merrion Road. These bus services can be availed of on Nassau Street outside Trinity College. Outside Trinity College, take Nassau Street (N11) for about 150 metres then turn right following the signposts for the R118. Follow the R118 (also locally known Mount Street; turns into Merrion Road) for around 2km. The RDS Showgrounds will be situated on the right-hand side.

via planetrugby.com

 

Leinster unveil new signing Galarza

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via rte.ie

Leinster Rugby have signed Argentina international second-row Mariano Galarza from Universitario de La Plata (Buenos Aires) on a short-term deal.

Galarza (23) stands at 6'8", weighs 112kg and joins the province having been called up for Argentina's summer tests against Scotland as well as the 41-13 victory over France in Galarza's hometown of Buenos Aires.

A student of medicine, Galarza was also selected for the Pumas end of year tour to Europe in 2008.

Commenting on the signing Leinster Manager Guy Easterby said: 'Mariano has made a real impression for Argentina since his senior international debut and we are pleased to have secured his signature as cover until the end of January.

'Obviously both Leo (Cullen) and Kevin (McLaughlin) will each miss a significant part of the early half of the season so it is great that we have been able to cover them with a quality player.'

Galarza will be on the bench for Leinster's friendly match on Friday at Donnybrook against Wasps, while Luke Fitzgerald and Sean O'Brien are both named in the starting line-up, marking their comeback from lengthy injury absences.

via rte.ie

BOD seeks Magners League solace

02nd May 2010 13:15

Brian O Driscoll looking beaten in Toulouse

O'Driscoll: 'We win and lose as a team'

Brian O'Driscoll has urged Leinster to accept their reign as European champions is over as quickly as possible and seek consolation in the Magners League.

The patched-up Heineken Cup holders were dumped out of the competition with a 26-16 defeat by favourites Toulouse in yesterday's semi-final at Le Stadium.

Little comfort was taken from the knowledge they had gone down fighting, instead they departed France frustrated at having failed to do themselves justice.

The Magners League is their only remaining chance of silverware - they top the table with one match left before the play-offs - and for O'Driscoll that offers some solace after their European heartache.

"You get used to the ring of being European champions but someone else is going to have the tag now and that's a disappointment," said the Ireland captain.

"We've worked hard and have fallen short but there's still the Magners League so we have to take this disappointment and move on.

"We talked about being in the Heineken Cup final but that's not going to happen so we'll have to make do with attempting to win the Magners League."

The match was finely poised at 9-9 until Toulouse ran in two tries in quick succession, the first when Yannick Jauzion crashed over in the 56th minute.

Man of the match David Skrela - who finished with 16 points - danced through Leinster's midfield shortly after to deliver the mortal blow.

Jamie Heaslip dived in at the corner but the fightback was short-lived and Leinster were later forced to begin the inquest into the disintegration of their scrum.

They were annihilated at the set-piece and had to feed off scraps as a result.

"They're such small margins at this level. We didn't take an opportunity in the first half when Eoin Reddan when spilled it over the line," said O'Driscoll.

"That could have been a seven-pointer and then they scored two quick tries in the second half to get their tails up.

"That's the Toulouse that the crowd get behind and they become a very difficult side to beat when they play like that.

"Like Ireland, we try to attack off first phase but didn't quite get the platform. I don't know why we struggled so much at the scrum.

"The scrum wasn't what we planned but we've won games off platforms that weren't so good in the past.

"We win and lose as a team and as backs we made some decisions and errors in defence."

Captain Leo Cullen joined O'Driscoll in attempting to rally the troops for what is left of the season.

"We've got a game against Edinburgh and we need to try and secure a home semi-final and push on from there," said Cullen.

"It would be sad if we didn't come away with anything from this season because we've put a lot of work in.

"We've got to see how we react to such a big loss and there is still plenty to play for.

"There are potentially three games left this season and we want to win all of them."

via planetrugby.com

 

Healy's cloak of despair shouldn't mask Leinster display full of heart and desire

AT a time when his scrummaging will be coming under CSI scrutiny, it is important to reiterate the following: Cian Healy has the right stuff.

Indeed, the loose-head's response in the adversity of Leinster going out of the Heineken Cup to what is clearly a phenomenal Toulouse side mirrored that of his team, whose performance in Saturday's semi-final was overflowing with character and courage.

Healy's number was up with half an hour gone. He had been given 30 minutes' torment by Toulouse tight-head Benoit Lecouls, who exerted enormous pressure driving through and across from the right.

Dan Human (or Dan Inhuman as he was referred to afterwards) was wreaking havoc on the far side and the result was a Leinster scrum in moonwalk mode, coughing up penalties and points with no solid platform for Jamie Heaslip or Eoin Reddan to provide front-foot momentum.

It was a May Day mayday to coach Michael Cheika and out came the shepherd's crook. Healy made the "walk of shame" off the soggy sward of the Stade Municipal, offered the obligatory hand to his replacement CJ van der Linde, and slumped down onto the Leinster bench. A member of the back-room team draped a tracksuit top around his shoulders which Healy immediately pulled over his head before hunching in disconsolate stillness for the rest of the half.

You could not but feel for the youngster. Healy is only 22 (the propping equivalent of adolescence), has made enormous progress over the past 16 months, and had played his part in a superb first-half defensive effort.

And, for all his understandable despondency, when he get his shot at redemption in the second half he responded superbly, one of many nuggets of encouragement to extract from an afternoon of collective disappointment.

It may go unnoticed in the sweeping summations of the champions' exit, but Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal will not have missed the fact that it was the all-Irish front-row of Healy, John Fogarty and Mike Ross (on for Van der Linde as the last option) who, in the final few minutes, produced the two most secure scrums of Leinster's long goodbye.

We make no apologies for beating this drum once again because it needs to be said (slowly and with effect). Ross. Can. Scrummage. Yes, he needs to improve his impact around the pitch and, consequently, has mobility issues to address, but ... say it with me ... Ross can scrummage.

Never was the importance of that simple statement emphasised more vehemently than on Saturday.

Van der Linde is returning home soon and, though injury problems have undoubtedly been a factor, whatever way you look at it, the South African has been an expensively poor investment.

He has a reputation as one of the most fearsome scrummagers in the game but was impotent against the Toulouse grizzlies.

Both camps zoned in on the set-piece afterwards with scrum-half Byron Kelleher revealing how this had been top of the Toulouse target-list all week.

"Everyone knows that your tight five are the ones that set the platform," said the delighted All Black. "We drummed it into our tight five this week to make sure that they did the job and they responded."

Leinster captain Leo Cullen also conceded that the scrum had been critical to the result. "They put a lot of pressure on us in that area," he acknowledged. "We take pride in our scrum normally and we were definitely disappointed with the way we performed."

In the immediate aftermath of a crushing defeat, deflation was natural when asked the unavoidable question about the "mood in the dressing-room" and there was annoyance at crucial penalty giveaways and their defensive grip slipping in the second half. However, when he added, "I don't think we gave a full account of ourselves", Cullen did not reflect the realities of the situation.

Consider the following. Toulouse, with a budget advantage somewhere in the region of €13m, were able to bring Maxime Medard, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Jean-Baptiste Poux and Louis Picamoles off a bench packed with international quality. Leinster had no such options.

They went into the game with a squad battered by injury and minus their key playmaker Jonathan Sexton. Over the 80 minutes, they lost four players to attrition and still made Toulouse fight every inch for this victory.

From Rob Kearney to Brian O'Driscoll, Shaun Berne, Reddan, Fogarty, Cullen and the back-row, this was a side that held their hands up in trying circumstances. There is no shame in losing to this Toulouse outfit on their own patch.

Nor is there any need for a cloak of despair; Healy and his team-mates can hold their heads high.

- Hugh Farrelly at the Stade Municipal

Irish Independent

via independent.ie

 

Bench woe for Kidney

By BRENDAN FANNING

Sunday February 21 2010


Declan Kidney's selection plans for Twickenham on Saturday have been disrupted by injuries to his bench forwardsDonnacha Ryan, who will miss the rest of the Six Nations Championships with a dislocated shoulder, and Sean O'Brien, who suffered a broken leg in Leinster's Magners game at theRDS last night.

Ryan was used in Paris last weekend as a replacement for Leo Cullen, but his shoulder injury threatens his season. Donncha O'Callaghan, however, will be fit again in time for the Englandgame.

O'Brien was the only forward unused in Paris and he was stretchered off last night after five minutes of the Magners League game against Scarlets with what was later confirmed as a fractured tibia. O'Brien's unfortunate injury opens the door for one of his Leinster colleagues: either Kevin McLaughlin orShane Jennings.


- BRENDAN FANNING

Sunday Independent

 

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