Munster through to face dazzling
Leinster
 By
Gareth Makim
Irish rugby has got the semi-final that we all hoped for but barely dared
to dream it would come about. As the mighty men of Munster gritted their
teeth and disposed of an indisciplined Perpignan side thoughts turned
to what will be without doubt one of the great occasions in the short
but spectacular history of the Heineken Cup.
Declan Kidney’s side were far from their best against what turned
out to be a fairly limited French side but managed to establish enough
dominance up front to scrape through to face Leinster at Lansdowne Road
at the end of this month. Conditions were far from perfect but the Munster
pack and its international contingent showed the same form as two weeks
ago in Twickenham especially the immense Paul O’Connell who again
epitomised his team’s efforts through sheer work rate and willpower.
But the old question marks over Munster’s back division reared their
head once again. Without Barry Murphy in the centre they lacked the spark
of creativity that would have taken some of the pressure off Ronan O’Gara’s
boot and that will certainly be required if they are to finally go all
the way in the competition.
Leinster though have no such concerns. Facing the champions and cup favourites
Toulouse, who were going in search of their fourth consecutive final,
the men from the capital put on one of the finest displays seen from an
Irish province. Once Leinster’s underdog pack showed they could
mix it the hard-hitting Toulouse up front (and full credit must go to
the likes of Malcolm O’Kelly and Keith Gleeson who were both outstanding)
the match became in essence a clash of the Irish and French backlines.
With the wonderful Felipe Contepomi spurring the men outside him into
some breathtaking and audacious counter-attacking and Brian O’Driscoll
and Shane Horgan exploiting the resulting gaps in the Toulouse defence
Leinster ran in four stunning tries — the equivalent of a bonus-point
win away from home — dethroning the champions by virtue of having
even more flair and verve than the French and by matching it with a ferocious
appetite for the tackle. With O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy
contesting the ball in the middle of the park it was as if Leinster had
back-row forwards stationed in all corners of the field.
Credit must go to Aussie coaching duo Michael Cheika and David Knox who
have insisted on playing to Leinster’s strengths and given the players
the freedom and confidence to express themselves. Girvan Dempsey for example
is a player reborn under the new set-up, adding an attacking potency to
his already considerable defensive portfolio.
Leinster on the back of this win will probably be slightly favoured going
into the semi-final although only a fool would write off Munster’s
chances. It is a game that will be billed as a clash between Ireland’s
forwards and its backs, between Munster muscle and Leinster flair and
between the combined wills of Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll.
Ironically though with all these Irish subplots the biggest game in provincial
rugby for many years could well be decided by an Argentinian. Kidney will
be sure to focus on how to deal with the brilliant Contepomi who remains
the key to unleashing Leinster’s speedsters and stopping him could
be the key to Munster’s chances of victory.
As the inevitable frenzy for tickets to the big clash gets under way I’ve
begun to be a little disappointed with how things have turned out. Of
course the semi-final will be a wonderful occasion but with Bath or Biarritz
awaiting the winners wouldn’t it have been so much sweeter if the
Irish giants could have been kept apart until the final? Now that really
would have been something special. |
