AS LEINSTER UNVEILED a new prop experiment and delivered another massive defensive performance at Thomond Park on Friday night, Jacques Nienaber’s ever-growing influence on the province was clear.
The relentlessness of Leinster’s effort without the ball and even some of their attacking plays – such as launching a garryowen into the Munster 22 for Robbie Henshaw to contest off a lineout attack – were Springboks-esque.
There’s no doubt the team’s DNA has changed under the guidance of Nienaber, who is head coach in all but name. His predecessor, Stuart Lancaster, put a huge focus on Leinster’s phase-play attack shape but Leinster are now more interested in pressuring their opponents into conceding penalties, kicking into the 22, and striking clinically from close range.
While many Leinster fans still seem to be waiting for the old phase-play attack to ‘click,’ it seems evident that their team are spending less time focusing on that. Leinster’s own sense is that their current style can get them over the line in cup rugby later this season.
Not that they enjoyed Munster defence coach Denis Leamy labelling them as “brilliantly boring” in the build-up to Friday night’s bonus-point win at Thomond Park. Leamy insisted it was a compliment but Leinster boss Leo Cullen wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t know about that,” said Cullen after his side’s 28-7 victory.
“I think Leams knew what he was saying there. That was just the old stirring the pot there. You know it as well. He knows it, you know it. I know exactly what he was doing.”
Despite the signs on the pitch, Cullen insisted that Leinster’s style hasn’t changed over the last two seasons since Nienaber arrived.
“No,” said Cullen. “We want to develop all parts of our game so that is set-pieces, attack, defence, all of it, the transition game. You can see there was some good opportunities out there that we didn’t quite nail. That’s the bit we need to keep working on.”
He highlighted how Leinster’s big Ireland international group were late back into pre-season after being on the tour of South Africa and were then gone again for the autumn internationals, meaning challenges for the coaching staff in having everyone on the same page.
“We want the perfect performance on both sides of the ball,” said Cullen. “Are we there yet? No, but will we get there? Hopefully, but it will take plenty of work.”
As Leinster think about trying to get the perfect performance after their 100% winning start to this season, Munster are licking their wounds after a disappointing, frustrating night at Thomond Park.
Interim head coach Ian Costello rightly pointed out that Leinster’s clinical edge from close range was the difference between the sides and indicated his confusion about the legality of Josh van der Flier’s second-half try, but the difference in quality between the teams was still notable.
Leinster’s comparative depth meant they could rest a big group of Ireland internationals against Connacht two weekends ago while still fielding a team that included Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman, and many other internationals. Then the frontline Ireland contingent returned on Friday night to hammer into Munster.
The southern province have also had to manage their relatively small number of internationals, meaning out-half Jack Crowley was rested against Leinster after being part of a bonus-point win up in Ulster the previous weekend.
“To be fair to the IRFU, they’ve recommended a number of games over a period,” said Costello. “It’s at our discretion when we rest players. We’ve different plans around different players around giving us the best opportunity to get as many points as we possibly can.
“It’s always a massive decision for a player not to be played in a game like this. If it wasn’t this one, it would have been Saracens or Northampton [in the Champions Cup] and we’d be having the same conversation.
“So it’s probably one of those things where we feel we have to do the best thing for the team and for the squad at a particular point and Jack, as always, was outstanding about it.”
Costello said he had no doubt that if Crowley hadn’t featured in Ulster, then Munster would have struggled to get that crucial bonus-point win.
The frustration was that Munster didn’t pick up even a single losing bonus point in defeat to Leinster.
Munster were missing a big chunk of injured players and while Leinster have their own injury issues with players as good as James Lowe, Tadhg Furlong, and Hugo Keenan currently sidelined, there’s no doubt that losing the likes of Thaakir Abrahams, Craig Casey, and Jean Kleyn has a huge impact on Munster’s shallower squad.
Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Jack O’Donoghue, and Diarmuid Barron were all close to proving their fitness for the Leinster game and should return for Champions Cup action in January, while Munster have had a good look at their training approach in the hope of limiting future issues.
“We’ve had a deep dive into our load, how we train, what we train and the S&C and medics are doing an outstanding job,” said Costello. “We were tracking very positively up until about two weeks ago and then out of those we’ve had eight injuries and seven are traumatic or pretty acute. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about those.
“The key now and I kind of want to keep it away from injuries because we’ve still got quality. We had the likes of Evan O’Connell, Ruadhan Quinn and Sean Edogbo playing an A game today [against Leinster] so there’s still a very competitive squad there.
“I want to focus on what we have rather than what we don’t have.”
That’s all Munster’s coaches can do right now but the simple reality is that they don’t have what Leinster have.
So while the men in blue think about experimental selections and improving on a 100% start to the season, Munster must battle just to keep their old rivals in sight.
To be fair to Costello, he had to choose 1 game to leave Jack out. He secured the bonus point against Ulster so it justifies his decision. Leinster beat Munster in the tight, so Jack would not have brought enough by himself to win the game. Would Munster have scored another try with him in the team – definitely during the yellow but that is probably it.
@Paul Ennis: ya but he’s after ruining the narrative of the some of the conspiracy theorists here who were trying to make out the IRFU were trying to sabotage Crowley so Prendergast could flourish.
@Paul Ennis: bang on Paul. A 5 point haul from the 2 inter pro’s was a good result with the injuries we have currently. As Costello rightly says, Crowley was key to getting those 5 v Ulster. He wouldn’t have bridged the gap to Leinster so it was ultimately a good decision to treat him for that game.
@Michael Corkery: rest
Even as a munster fan i love leinster as much sam is the real deal what a talent all the people saying he over hyped lol just be happy he is a great young player
@Shanie: No doubt sam prendergast is a talented young player and given time may turn in one of our best ever.
But he hasn’t achieved anything in rugby to justify what is being written or said about him.
He’s been handed motm’s when no where near being the best player on the pitch, the fact that he was in shock after being announced as motm recently hopefully
means he isn’t buying into the hype that were being bombarded with.
Crowley was a year old when he guided munster to winning the league, munsters squad wouldn’t even have been considered in the top 5 In the league.
@Patrick O’Sullivan: he is still the real deal
@Patrick O’Sullivan: paper never refused ink. We got the same about Joey when he first came through, about Harry somewhat and also about Jack. Fans and pundits will always big up players. Especially if the play 10.
@Shanie: so were Ross and Harry Byrne apparently
@Patrick O’Sullivan: ok i just like all irish players no bitter munster leinster nonsence he will be ireland number with crowley for years
@Patrick O’Sullivan: that’s just your opinion Patrick not fact. The fact is a lot of people would disagree with that. Prendergast continues to quieten his critics by consistently putting in impressive performances in big games. What else can any player do only that to live up to their hype.
@Stephen Nolan: joey was never this good and was injured even early on in his career
@Stephen Nolan: I forgot about joey early days, he also looked the real deal.
Yes crowley did get good words said about him.
If prendergast has to go through any point with a major loss of form like crowley is at the moment, then this hype is going to make it twice as hard as it needs to be to deal with.
@Shanie: brilliant make a discussion about sam prendergast about munster and leinster. Great point
@anthony davoren: everything you’ve written after “that is just your opinion Patrick and not fact” is just your opinion and not fact
@anthony davoren: despite you trying to pass it off as “fact” Antony.
@Patrick O’Sullivan: I think Shane’s point is that some of us see an Irish player with potential and we get excited because we remember what it was like before Keith Wood, then Brian O’Driscoll and lastly Johnny Sexton. We had to go a long time without a genuine superstar in the team. France have Dupont & SA have PSDT – we want ours, regardless of his province of birth and we can genuinely see the possibility of it in Sam. All due respect to all of the young Irish players out there at the moment, he is the one real live chance of emulating any of the previously named. There are some “supporters” out there who look at a players provincial jersey first and then decide if they are going to get on the hype train. It is such a negative outlook on things.
@Patrick O’Sullivan: You talking CB support the players will ya
@Paul Ennis: 100 percent and im a munster fan
@Paul Ennis: The difference is they all earned it before being labelled a superstar, there was alot of positive talk around BOD without having done much in the game early days, but it was more the young leinster lad looks to be a player in the future. Where SP after his first start for ireland had not only over taken JC but is also a lions possibility.
I would disagree and say Doris is the superstar of ireland atm if that is what anyone is looking for. SP has done OK so far and at his age playing outhalf that is good/promising.
@Paul Ennis: Is it also true that some “supporters” are the opposite and on the hype train due to being blue, maybe even losing the run of them self’s a bit(I’m not saying you are or anything)?
What is the minimum now expected of SP playing behind one of the most dominant packs in the game and playing with the irish 2nd best 9 and best 12 of the pro era imo, what is the minimum expected of him in blue now everything that has been said about him?
@Paul Ennis: If he doesn’t deliver a champions cup this year or next or maybe the one after, what then, we look for a new shiny toy to put up on a pedestal like the Byrnes and Carbery before him. It doesn’t help young players building this bubble around them that they can do no wrong and rewarding them with motm’s when they should not even be in the conversation for motm on the day.
@Shanie: “CB” lol. Your a fraud fella, seamlessly jumping from “munster fan” to “i support all provinces equally” depending on the narrative your trying to push because you think i carrys more weight.
@Patrick O’Sullivan: This is not a conversation about facts, it is one about feelings and therefore there are no right answers. I am trying to help you understand why Irish rugby supporters like Shanie, or myself, will get excited about potential like Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Jude Postlethwaite or Hugh Gavin. We will absolutely jump blindly onto the Sam Prendergast hype train because ultimately we are positive minded people who will hope rather than worry no matter how often we have been disappointed. The thing that annoys us is when supporters of one province or another talk down one of these potential superstars, mainly because they are wearing the wrong colour provincial jersey!!
@Paul Ennis: so you either buy in 100% to the hype of prendergast or you don’t because you don’t like leinster.
The budgruders are saying that they expect Leinster to come unstuck against Toulouse because attack isn’t 100% or they are being cute with the laws etc. Just remember, there’s no referee that Leinster haven’t encountered before and no reason why they won’t adapt. Also, Leinster barely had any preseason with Nienabar and still were seconds away from winning. With a full reason behind them and consistent game time together after the Six Nations, Leinster will hit their straps come April/May on both sides of the ball.
@Conor Lynott: anything less than winning the Champions Cup this year would be a failure. On top of the 28 Irish Internationals Leinster have in their squad, they have recruited two of the best players in the world and one of the best TH’s in France. No other club team has that depth. In reality, there are only about 6-8 Toulouse players who get into a fully fit Leinster 23.
@Conor Lynott: people are saying that because Leinster came unstuck repeatedly the last number of years at domestic and European level.
I presume we won’t be allowed to hang onto Slimani after this season. If that’s the case, he could be an excellent signing for Munster (or Ulster/Connacht tbh) as a Player/Scrum Coach. It’d seem crazy for the IRFU to let somebody of his experience and knowledge leave after a single year. Maybe he’s not interested but you’d hope he’s been at least sounded out about staying in Ireland.
@cian nolan: The ban on signing props will be the end of Slimani’s career in Ireland. I think he is lined up for a coaching role with Clermont next season… unless??
@Paul Ennis: Slimani was meant to retire at the end of last season and move into Clermont coaching role but felt offer from Leinster was too good to turn down. I thought it was a 2 year deal?
@mcdb06: Pretty sure he is on a 1 year deal
@Paul Ennis: Checked a few news sources and it says he was signed to 2 year deal.
I was in Kingspan and Munster were awful against Ulster and did really well in identifying that we didn’t have a proper 13 but the kicking from Crowley and the total inability to hold onto the ball cost Munster and that just won’t work against 15 men
@Brian Kernahan: Yep, Munster won plenty of pens in the first half and made nothing of them. I don’t disagree that the treatment of Crowley was correct but to somehow attribute the fortunate result to it is amusing.
@Brian Kernahan: Still tho, a bonus point victory at Ravenhill to dry our tears ;)
@Thesaltyurchin: I’ll give you that
Watching it back and comparing it to the panic in the media just doesn’t add up imo. The game was fairly close for large periods, if Munster had been able to (granted they weren’t) hold a ball OR realise that sometimes take your points instead of trying to force it and consistently failing (Have we ever scored from a tap penalty?) then it would have been much closer, obviously Leinster are the team at the top no question, but the 42 narrative that it is “now dangerous for the IRFU” is a total nonsense.
Personally my biggest fear is the gap between Leinster and our other 3 provinces is widening at a rate which may go beyond reach…. I feel Gate numbers will fall and that only means gates receipts which play a big part in attracting outside big name signings will become a story of the past.
This is not a fault of Leinster but the IRFU will have to recognise this will have an impact to our Irish team.. Ireland needs diversity in the national team just like any other international side…. The IRFU need to wake up and make some changes as to how provinces are allowed to think and manoeuvre outside the box.. I read a very good read from Gordon Darcy voicing more or less the same concerns.
@Den: Don’t see it. Wonderful content tho.