Dwyer's View

Ireland Forever

Leinster v Munster

Sunday 4th October 2009

For some time now, some rugby commentators, indeed some senior rugby administrators, in the Southern Hemisphere have sought to denigrate the standard and style of rugby played in the Northern Hemisphere. They have sought to convince people that the Northerners are all sticks-in-the-mud, with no enterprise or excitement about their game.

I’ve assumed in recent years, since I’ve been able to watch Magner’s, Guinness and Heineken competition games on tv in Australia, that this was an uninformed view, that these detractors had not been watching these games and they were simply blowing hot air. I’ve seen some cracking games, full of enterprise and movement, and with a minimum of kicking. To be fair, I’ve seen the occasional ordinary one as well.

Yesterday’s match, Leinster v Munster in Dublin, was certainly not an ordinary match. It was a game full of pace and physicality, as befitting such a clash – last season’s Heineken Cup champions, at home to last season’s Magner’s League champions.

It was as good a game as I’ve seen for years, with none of the interminable “bomb fests” which plagued this season’s Tri-Nations internationals. This was replaced by pace and power, precision and enterprise and it lasted the whole 80 mins.

Leinster set out to dominate Munster up front – no small task to overpower the forward pack who have been the kings of Europe for a few years, and who provided the bulk of the pack for Ireland, current Grand Slam champions, and for the British and Irish Lions to South Africa. But dominate them they did.

They pressured Munster’s lineout, at times they fractured their scrum and they simply demolished them at the tackle contest. Last year, Rocky Elsom led the way in nearly every game. This year, with no Rocky, they seemed determined to let him know that they have heeded his lesson and they tore into the Munster team with intensity and ferocity from the start. They had tasted success last year and were hungry for more. Their pack lost nothing in comparison with that of the All Blacks in their demolition of the Wallabies a few weeks back.

There was such quality throughout, across the park on both teams, that it came as a surprise to see three first choice Lions players subbed  ON in the second half – Paul O’Connell and David Wallace for Munster and the excellent Rob Kearney for Leinster. The squad depth of each team will surely be capable of handling the rigours of the enormous Northern Hemisphere season.

Leinster scored three tries to nil, including a couple of classics. Some initial ball movement to open defences a little, followed by some power and pace from forwards running onto off-loads in the tightest areas, then the world class Brian O’Driscoll taking advantage of a little extra room, first for a try for Gordon D’Arcy from a Shane Horgan pass and the second was all O’Driscoll, leaving Jean de Villiers and then Keith Earls in his wake. Simply beautiful to watch!

As I’ve already said, there was quality throughout and the final score of 30-0 doesn’t tell the full story. Michael Cheika, the Leinster coach, said as much at the after-match interview. “It was a hard fought contest,” he said, “and there were crucial times early in the second half when Munster threatened, but we were able to hold them out.” He spoke further of the team spirit, of their quick acceptance of the decisions made by the team leadership, and the willingness of those disappointed to assist the luckier ones in their preparation. He spoke, crucially I thought, of the humility of the individual players in their understanding of the required contribution to team effort. We could all dwell on this!

It was indeed a hard contest and no ground was won easily, but of the countless individual contests throughout the game, Leinster won most of them.

Man-of-the-Match was awarded to young Kevin McLaughlin, Rocky Elsom’s replacement. I remarked to Rocky earlier today that they appear to have a rule at Leinster, that the man-of-the match must wear No.6.

For me, though, the clear winner was loose-head prop Cian Healy, who had a whale of a game, destroying  John Hayes at the scrum and still tireless in the ball-carry and at the tackle.

Message to uninformed detractors, “Have a look at a few games, before you make any future judgments!”

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