JUST AS LEINSTER’S season rolls towards crunch time, the province lose one of their key men to a serious injury setback.
The province are back in Champions Cup action this weekend as the tournament enters the knockout stages, and while Leo Cullen’s team are heavily fancied to beat Edinburgh in Dublin, from here on in there’s no room for a slip.
If this is to be the year they finally claim the Champions Cup again, they’ll have to do while negotiating their knockout games without the services of RG Snyman, who is sidelined for the rest of the season with another ACL injury.
While the South African’s latest problem is with his right knee, he previously suffered two ACL ruptures to his left knee across his four seasons with Munster.
Last year was the lock’s first with Leinster, enjoying an injury-free campaign, but unfortunately the two-time World Cup winner will play no further part this season as the province step up their quest for Champions Cup glory, missing key games he was signed to make a difference in.
“He’s an experienced player, a quality rugby player,” says Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber.
“I think that’s the two things just coming into my head now that you miss, like anyone. Not having Paddy (McCarthy), what do you miss about Paddy, he’s a quality rugby player, quality human. So that’s what you’ll miss. Same with RG.
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Snyman is set for surgery on an ACL injury. Grace Halton / INPHO
Grace Halton / INPHO / INPHO
“Look, it’s an injury that he’s had before twice. So, I mean, the positive thing is you have a good understanding of what the road ahead looks like.
“I think from that point of view, and RG is that type of guy, it’s happened. It’s not the first time it happened to a rugby player, it’s not going to be the last time it happened to a rugby player.
“If you look at a guy like Ports (Andrew Porter), he’s only played four games for us this season, taking into account this weekend against Scarlets. Same with Jamie Osborne, I think he’s only played three times for us. Hugo (Keenan), his first game back two weeks ago against Glasgow. So I think there’s a lot of players that have had fairly bad luck. And Bairdo (Ryan Baird) is only coming back now, I think he’s only played three or four times for us this season.
“So I think RG is not unique in the sense that he had a long-term injury. I think there’s a couple of them. And if you look at Jack Boyle, he’s out for the season. Paddy’s (McCarthy) out for the season. So, it happens to a lot of them.”
Snyman’s absence could leave Leinster a little light in the second row. James Ryan is still trying to shake off a calf problem, and while the Ireland international didn’t take part in training yesterday, Nienaber wouldn’t rule him out of inclusion for the weekend.
Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong is another doubt, although he did take part in some training on Tuesday.
A home round of 16 meeting with Edinburgh isn’t a blockbuster fixture, with just under 20,000 tickets shifted for the Sunday afternoon fixture, but Leinster are heading into the game acutely aware that one off day can kill their European dreams for another year.
James Ryan is a doubt for Sunday's clash with Edinburgh. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Nienaber looks back to last season, where Leinster hammered Harlequins (62-0) and Glasgow (52-0) in their opening knockout games before coming up short against Northampton Saints in the semi-finals.
“You just have to be good on the day and in the mix at the back end of the game to be in position to win the game, and sometimes you need a bit of luck,” Nienaber says.
“I think our preparation was good in that week (ahead of Northampton) and we had a bad spell of 10 minutes where, 20 minutes in the game we’re leading 15-10 and then 30 minutes, we were down 27-15. It’s one moment, or one patch or one moment where you don’t get your shit right and things can go quickly like that, so yeah, that’s it. It can go both ways.”
What makes this season interesting is that Leinster don’t look in the same rude health they did this time last year – the province have already lost five league games, having only lost twice in the URC last season. They’ve also conceded a total of 299 points across their 14 league games to date, already up on the 256 shipped over 18 games last season. They warmed up for Edinburgh with a mixed showing in beating Scarlets 36-19 last Friday.
“I think from our point of view, it’s obviously the two things that stand out looking back at the Scarlets game, I think our discipline wasn’t great in the first 20 minutes, at the back end it was better and then I think we created some opportunities which we didn’t capitalise on.
And we consistently are working hard, trying to improve, we’re in the knockout stages of Europe. If you don’t get it right, you’re gone.”
One of the big selection calls facing Leinster this week, again, is at out-half, where Harry Byrne looks to have gained the edge on Sam Prendergast.
Prendergast, 23, has had a tough couple of games in Leinster colours since losing his place in the Ireland team during the Six Nations.
“I wouldn’t say he is different to what he was before he left,” Nienaber says of the young out-half.
“If he looks down I would go to him and ask if he is okay. He is realistic in his head that this is professional sport and sometimes you will be flavour of the month and sometimes you won’t be. You have to work through that, and that makes you better. It doesn’t break you, it makes you stronger. He is just cracking on to be honest.
“Obviously, you have to take on board that you are where you are for a reason and that is where the development happens. So he has got certain skill sets that took him to a very high level with Ireland. I can’t comment as I don’t know the comms with coaches there. But they are very diligent there and I am sure they will have had conversations with him and he will work on that. That is how you improve. And they would have had the same chats with Jack Crowley before now. That is professional sport.”
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'If you don’t get it right, you’re gone' - Leinster sharpen focus for Champions Cup charge
JUST AS LEINSTER’S season rolls towards crunch time, the province lose one of their key men to a serious injury setback.
The province are back in Champions Cup action this weekend as the tournament enters the knockout stages, and while Leo Cullen’s team are heavily fancied to beat Edinburgh in Dublin, from here on in there’s no room for a slip.
If this is to be the year they finally claim the Champions Cup again, they’ll have to do while negotiating their knockout games without the services of RG Snyman, who is sidelined for the rest of the season with another ACL injury.
While the South African’s latest problem is with his right knee, he previously suffered two ACL ruptures to his left knee across his four seasons with Munster.
Last year was the lock’s first with Leinster, enjoying an injury-free campaign, but unfortunately the two-time World Cup winner will play no further part this season as the province step up their quest for Champions Cup glory, missing key games he was signed to make a difference in.
“He’s an experienced player, a quality rugby player,” says Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber.
“I think that’s the two things just coming into my head now that you miss, like anyone. Not having Paddy (McCarthy), what do you miss about Paddy, he’s a quality rugby player, quality human. So that’s what you’ll miss. Same with RG.
“Look, it’s an injury that he’s had before twice. So, I mean, the positive thing is you have a good understanding of what the road ahead looks like.
“I think from that point of view, and RG is that type of guy, it’s happened. It’s not the first time it happened to a rugby player, it’s not going to be the last time it happened to a rugby player.
“If you look at a guy like Ports (Andrew Porter), he’s only played four games for us this season, taking into account this weekend against Scarlets. Same with Jamie Osborne, I think he’s only played three times for us. Hugo (Keenan), his first game back two weeks ago against Glasgow. So I think there’s a lot of players that have had fairly bad luck. And Bairdo (Ryan Baird) is only coming back now, I think he’s only played three or four times for us this season.
“So I think RG is not unique in the sense that he had a long-term injury. I think there’s a couple of them. And if you look at Jack Boyle, he’s out for the season. Paddy’s (McCarthy) out for the season. So, it happens to a lot of them.”
Snyman’s absence could leave Leinster a little light in the second row. James Ryan is still trying to shake off a calf problem, and while the Ireland international didn’t take part in training yesterday, Nienaber wouldn’t rule him out of inclusion for the weekend.
Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong is another doubt, although he did take part in some training on Tuesday.
A home round of 16 meeting with Edinburgh isn’t a blockbuster fixture, with just under 20,000 tickets shifted for the Sunday afternoon fixture, but Leinster are heading into the game acutely aware that one off day can kill their European dreams for another year.
Nienaber looks back to last season, where Leinster hammered Harlequins (62-0) and Glasgow (52-0) in their opening knockout games before coming up short against Northampton Saints in the semi-finals.
“You just have to be good on the day and in the mix at the back end of the game to be in position to win the game, and sometimes you need a bit of luck,” Nienaber says.
“I think our preparation was good in that week (ahead of Northampton) and we had a bad spell of 10 minutes where, 20 minutes in the game we’re leading 15-10 and then 30 minutes, we were down 27-15. It’s one moment, or one patch or one moment where you don’t get your shit right and things can go quickly like that, so yeah, that’s it. It can go both ways.”
What makes this season interesting is that Leinster don’t look in the same rude health they did this time last year – the province have already lost five league games, having only lost twice in the URC last season. They’ve also conceded a total of 299 points across their 14 league games to date, already up on the 256 shipped over 18 games last season. They warmed up for Edinburgh with a mixed showing in beating Scarlets 36-19 last Friday.
“I think from our point of view, it’s obviously the two things that stand out looking back at the Scarlets game, I think our discipline wasn’t great in the first 20 minutes, at the back end it was better and then I think we created some opportunities which we didn’t capitalise on.
One of the big selection calls facing Leinster this week, again, is at out-half, where Harry Byrne looks to have gained the edge on Sam Prendergast.
Prendergast, 23, has had a tough couple of games in Leinster colours since losing his place in the Ireland team during the Six Nations.
“I wouldn’t say he is different to what he was before he left,” Nienaber says of the young out-half.
“If he looks down I would go to him and ask if he is okay. He is realistic in his head that this is professional sport and sometimes you will be flavour of the month and sometimes you won’t be. You have to work through that, and that makes you better. It doesn’t break you, it makes you stronger. He is just cracking on to be honest.
“Obviously, you have to take on board that you are where you are for a reason and that is where the development happens. So he has got certain skill sets that took him to a very high level with Ireland. I can’t comment as I don’t know the comms with coaches there. But they are very diligent there and I am sure they will have had conversations with him and he will work on that. That is how you improve. And they would have had the same chats with Jack Crowley before now. That is professional sport.”
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European Rugby Champions Cup Jacques Nienaber Leinster Rugby