JUST IN CASE anybody forgot how much this age-old rivalry still means to the two provinces involved, there are reminders in the form of match posters plastered on the walls of Leinster’s UCD headquarters.
A fixture steeped in history and tradition may not be considered as significant as it once was, perhaps diluted by the added weight of European competition, but there will be evidence to the contrary come 2pm this afternoon when two sides — fully locked and loaded — run out in front of 45,000 at the Aviva Stadium.
Although both camps have strongly suggested that their main focus is on the start of the Champions Cup next week — Rassie Erasmus even admitted he sees it as a ‘training’ match — Leinster versus Munster remains one of the biggest club matches in the game.
“It’s a huge fixture for us,” Leo Cullen said yesterday, recalling his early memories of the fixture when it was played in front of a mere 500 locals in Donnybrook or Dooradoyle.
“It’s great. You look across the match-ups, that’s what it’s about. I think there were always those match-ups but it has captured the public’s attention and has been taken to a new level.”
As well as an intense rivalry between team-mates and friends, this afternoon’s renewal of blue versus red has subplots aplenty; the battle for Champions Cup places, the shoot-out for November internationals selection and the small matter of provincial bragging rights. It remains the stand-out fixture in the calendar.
And even at this early stage of the season, it carries weight. Nothing will be won or lost, nor will the province’s respective campaigns be defined by the outcome this afternoon, but both teams arrive looking to shake off the rust and build up a head of steam before a crucial block of fixtures.
For Cullen, the focus is on building from last week.
“This week has been better preparation wise,” the Leinster head coach continues. “So we’re just looking to have a better level of performance than we had last week, and next week we’ll look to get better again and the following week the same.
“What are we looking for this week? It’s the intent. There are going to be very motivated players out there so we just need to make sure we’re focused on our bits. We know the bits that if we get right, we’ll be a hard team to beat. So we just need to be focused on those.
“It’s just another step for us this week to try and get as many points as we possibly can out of this fixture and then change the focus next week to a different tournament. You talk about a spike and there’s definitely a spike in everything that’s going on around the place and traditionally that has served both teams very, very well.
“So we will be hoping for something similar but it’s important we do have that step up because we’ve had a lot of challenges in what, five matches this season, but we’re into the proper stuff now and there’s definitely a sense that the season is kicking into gear.”
Cullen’s team selection reflects that. Four of Leinster’s five Lions start and the hosts’ XV is arguably their strongest hand at this juncture, with the back row unit of Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan particularly powerful.
Robbie Henshaw returns to make his seasonal bow in a backline which will be marshalled by Johnny Sexton — who is just five points shy of becoming Leinster’s all-time record points scorer — and also includes UCD’s Barry Daly on the wing.
The 25-year-old, Leinster’s top try-scorer this term, has enjoyed a remarkable rise from the AIL to this point and today will be his first-ever appearance at the Aviva Stadium.
“It was after Luke Fitzgerald retired and we were looking for wingers, and Noel McNamara, whose working with the academy here, was coaching with UCD, he talked a lot about Barry, he’d scored a lot of tries in the AIL, so we’d have been aware of him with guys tracking those games, we’ll have a coach at all of the games every week,” Cullen explained.
“He came in on a trial for a couple of weeks, that got extended, he stayed on until the end of [last] season, so Barry’s made great progress, he’s scored a lot of tries for UCD, and scored a few this season.
“He did well in pre-season, played 15 minutes against Dragons, came on in the second half against Cardiff and scored that try where he made an unbelievable take in the corner, to score. Played against the Cheetahs, scored a hat trick in that game.
“Barry’s getting picked because he’s able to score tries, he deserves a window in one of these big games. It’s a great story, from the clubs, for younger players who might miss out on academy or sub-academies, there is a way there to get through to the professional game again, it’s a great story for Barry, he’s a genuine finisher.”
Erasmus, meanwhile, has kept faith with the same pack that helped see off Cardiff last weekend but has made four changes in personnel in a backline which contains three out-halves and a first appearance of the season for Keith Earls.
Following his try-scoring cameo off the bench last time out, JJ Hanrahan starts at fullback while Erasmus has attempted to offset the loss of Jaco Taute by deploying Tyler Bleyendaal as a playmaking centre alongside Chris Farrell. Ian Keatley retains his place at 10 after a fine performance against the Blues.
Although surprised by some of Munster’s selections, Cullen insists he won’t be tweaking any plans in response.
“We won’t tweak or plan greatly based off that,” he said, looking down Munster’s teamsheet. “We knew Jaco Taute was out injured, that was reasonably evident early in the week.
“We probably would have made an assumption that Rory Scannell would have played 12 and Chris Farrell would have played 13. We weren’t sure about Bleyendaal, I know there has been a bit of coverage over his kicking stats so maybe that’s why Keatley got the nod there. But Bleyendaal is still an excellent player. We have watched a lot of footage of him.
“JJ at 15 is a little bit different but again, he’s a good footballer. Even from his previous stint with Munster, we would have seen him being a very versatile player for them.”
Hanrahan kicked a penalty during Munster’s last victory over Leinster at tomorrow’s venue back in October 2014, with the southern province’s recent record at the Aviva Stadium showing four defeats from their last four visits.
Erasmus’ side were well beaten by Leinster, Saracens and Scarlets at Lansdowne Road last term and history is against them again today as they look to end that hoodoo.
The sides have met 33 times competitively, with Leinster 18-13 ahead in league meetings while both sides have won a European Cup semi-final apiece while the eastern province have won their last four games at the Aviva Stadium in all competitions.
“This fixture is a great way of getting the players up to that level of intensity quickly,” Cullen added. “That emotional energy that fixture brings to the players is important and due to the nature of the start of the season for us, it is an excellent stepping stone into Europe.
“Not that it is a stepping stone as a unique fixture with enough on the line. There is no replicating it. It just doesn’t happen with other fixtures in the league, no disrespect to all the other ones. There is just something different about it.”
Leinster:
15. Joey Carbery
14. Adam Byrne
13. Rory O’Loughlin
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Barry Daly
10. Johnny Sexton (captain)
9. Luke McGrath
1. Jack McGrath
2. James Tracy
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Devin Toner
5. Scott Fardy
6. Rhys Ruddock
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Seán Cronin
17. Cian Healy
18. Michael Bent
19. Ross Molony
20. Jordi Murphy
21. Jamison Gibson-Park
22. Ross Byrne
23. Fergus McFadden
Munster:
15. JJ Hanrahan
14. Andrew Conway
13. Chris Farrell
12. Tyler Bleyendaal
11. Keith Earls
10. Ian Keatley
9. Conor Murray
1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Robin Copeland
5. Billy Holland
6. Peter O’Mahony (captain)
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. CJ Stander
Replacements:
16. Rhys Marshall
17. Liam O’Connor
18. Stephen Archer
19. Mark Flanagan
20. Jack O’Donoghue
21. Duncan Williams
22. Rory Scannell
23. Alex Wootton
Referee: Ben Whitehouse.
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