Bob Dwyer Rugby Workshops

Last weekend, in their Magners League fixture at home against a well under strength Ospreys team, Leinster struggled to a close win. There was none of the quality that has become the hallmark of the Dublin based team in recent years. No physicality, no urgency, no dominance at the tackle, no second touches for their flyhalf, nothing at all to deliver the “momentum” which commentator, Jonathan Davies, said was so necessary to take forward into the crucial final stages of the Heineken Cup pool matches.

We need not have concerned ourselves. This week, the old Leinster team reappeared. They began with purpose, with aggression and power. They had all of the urgency and intent that you could want, and, save for one strange eight minute period in the middle of the first half, they had more than the measure of Saracens. All of this mind, without Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D’Arcy and Rob Kearney.

The wind howled across the pitch, but Leinster made light of the difficulty. They used the closer spacing, shorter passing, back up, look for a second touch, run straight, question the defence constantly, style of game that pays no heed to difficult conditions. Indeed they used it so effectively that they had two tries within eleven minutes; so successfully, in fact, that their commitment seemed to slacken just enough for Sarries to be right back in the match, at 15-12, with two tries of their own. This was early enough in the match for Leinster to realise the error of their ways and they were soon back on the job. This time though they played right to the end. Six tries and a five competition points haul were their reward and their top place in Pool 2 is secure.

I love the way Leinster play. They rarely use ‘second line’ plays – I agree; I think that the decoy/s are wasted players. They are in front of the ball and rarely attract anyone; the ‘second line’ are so deep that the defence can easily adjust. Leinster prefer the ‘old-fashioned’ – read,’simple’, ‘correct’, effective’, ‘quality’ – style of straight running and accurate passing. They rely on acceleration and line to attract the defender and use the early pass into space, for the receiver to run onto the ball. No ridiculous ‘structured play’ for them. Their forwards chase the ball and apply loads of pressure at and around the tackle contest. They make space for their backs and backrowers.

And what great backs and backrowers they have. Even without Kearney and D’Arcy, McFadden and Nacewa (at fullback) were excellent. I had Isa Nacewa in a World XV against South Africa a few years back, and it was clear then that he is an outstanding player. Nothing has changed! Dublin has become the ‘backrow factory’ of Europe. Shane Jennings has been playing quality rugby for some years now at this level. Sean O’Brien is an absolute powerhouse. Jamie Heaslip not available – step up Dominic Ryan for two tries. Horgan and O’Driscoll just seem to get better with age.

Why can’t other teams play like this? Ask the Leinster backrowers “how they like playing with a backline like this”.  They’ll tell you that it’s a “breeze”. Easy to get in behind the ball-carrier – “he’s not carting it across the field and getting knocked backwards in the tackle”. Because he’s running straight, he has clear vision of the defence to allow instinctive changes of angle and, with lateral vision, he can see his support runners. Again, why is Jonny O’Connor the only flyhalf in Europe who gets regular ‘second touches? They used to say of Mark Ella, that “if he got a second touch, his team would score and, if he got a third touch, HE would score!”. And it’s not that hard!

The Leinster attack continually asked questions of the Sarries defence – and they asked difficult questions, with numbers in motion around the ball-carrier. Not many teams – and certainly not Saracens – could have come up with the right answers. The Saracens attack, on the other hand, relied almost exclusively on the ponderous ‘second line’ plays that were frequently punished by the powerful Leinster defence.

Sean O’Brien was a deserved man-of-the-match, but it could just as easily been Isa Nacewa. O’Driscoll, O’Connor and Horgan were only too ready to join the party. All of the forwards contributed, but the backrow were outstanding. Now for ‘Racing’ in Paris!

Down in Pool 5, Leicester Tigers were away to Scarlets and desperate for the win, just to stay alive. Traditionally, no one ever went to Llanelli expecting an easy time and Saturday was no different for the Tigers. Scarlets led 10-6 at the break and I made the note, “Scarlets are out-muscling Tigers.” That takes a bit of doing, but Scarlets were full value for their lead and had worked overtime – and sometimes over the off-side line – to totally disrupt any shape in the Tigers game.

Immediately after the resumption, the new Alain Rolland appeared. Maybe someone reminded him of the off-side laws, because in the first minute, Scarlets were penalised for just that. I saw the looks on their faces, “That was ok, only ten minutes ago?” Toby Flood converted and it was 10-9. Given a bit more space, and perhaps with Scarlets tiring, the Tigers shifted up a gear. Good skills and great pace brought two tries – one each to Alesana Tuilagi and Ben Youngs – but the foundation for the win lay with the outstanding frontrow of Ayerza, Chuter and Castrogiovanni. Substitutes, Stankovitch and Cole, just rubbed salt into the wounds. It’s impossible to win big matches, when your scrum is demolished. Scarlets are not the first team to understand that!

By the end, it was the Tigers of old. Lineout, catch and drive, excellent driving maul. Penalty. Lineout, catch and drive, excellent rolling maul, try! Man-of-the-match Youngs was outstanding, as was Allen, at centre. He gave them the hope that kept them in the game during the tough first half. The day, however, belonged to the Tigers scrum.

I’ll have to wait until the morning for Toulon v Munster and Glasgow v Wasps. A Monday morning to look forward to – age does have advantages! Like I said last week, “It’s a feast!”

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