THE MOST NOTICEABLE aspect of Munster’s win against Leinster last weekend was their dominance of the collisions, an area where they had failed to excel against their inter-provincial rivals in recent seasons.
For all Leinster’s passing ability and attacking incisiveness under Joe Schmidt, it was their habit of winning the breakdown and physical contest that allowed them to record four consecutive wins over Munster. The failure to do so in Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash was slightly worrying.
One poor performance doesn’t make them a bad team and Leinster are sure to bounce back with an improved display against the Ospreys this weekend, but it looks crucial that Brian O’Driscoll regains his fitness for the trip to the Liberty Stadium. Without himself and Leo Cullen, Leinster looked uncharacteristically lacking in motivation and aggression.
Rugby is a simple game most of the time; if one team wants a win more than the other, they will very often come out on top. That certainly appeared to be the case at Thomond Park, as Munster hounded, chased and hammered Leinster in attack and defence. Leinster looked distinctly second place in terms of those basic requisites.
Munster’s kick chase was a fine example, with two excellent turnovers coming from contestable kicks chased by Keith Earls. The winger made thumping tackles, but crucially his teammates piled in behind him to win possession. On the other hand, Leinster had a couple of similar opportunities but their kick chase was notable for its relative absence.
Munster won a multitude of turnovers on the deck and through their use of the choke tackle, but it was all underpinned by a lack of fight from the Leinster players. What made it so jarring is that it’s so rare to see Leinster not doing well in those areas. Their three Heineken Cup successes saw them play exhilarating rugby, but that style was based on superb breakdown work and a huge physical effort in contact situations.
It is hardly coincidence that Leinster produced this display without their two key leaders, Leo Cullen and Brian O’Driscoll. The second row remains several weeks away from fitness, meaning O’Driscoll’s return against the Ospreys is even more vital. While both players will be retiring soon, and Leinster certainly need to get used to not having them in the side, they remain two of the fiercest competitors in the Leinster set-up.
Whatever about pre-match motivation, sometimes all Leinster need to get them going is a burst of what O’Driscoll specializes in. He is still a creative attacker, but what I’m referring to here is his combativeness in contact. The 34-year-old may be slowing down in terms of actually winning turnovers, but even just seeing him having a determined effort can inspire.
Cullen is a similar nuisance at the breakdown, with his crafty dragging in of opposition players, subtle blocking and accurate clearing-out. It can sometimes be hard to pinpoint exactly what he brings to the Leinster team that someone like Quinn Roux can’t, but his presence certainly lifts the other Leinster players to greater heights.
While both veterans are calmness personified off the pitch and in the breaks in play, they are hugely aggressive every time the whistle blows. The sort of physical confrontation Cullen and O’Driscoll bring to their every action is infectious, rubbing off on teammates and bringing about Leinster’s best performances.
Cullen is definitely not going to be involved against the Ospreys, so that makes O’Driscoll’s recovery from that calf strain all the more important. Steve Tandy’s men invariably raise their game when they come up against Leinster, and they will be doubly motivated by last weekend’s home loss to Ulster.
If Leinster cannot summon the motivation and aggression that was so obviously missing against Munster, the results could be disastrous. Getting O’Driscoll back into the team would be one way for Matt O’Connor to ensure they don’t open their Heineken Cup campaign with a loss.
