Munster’s backs are against the wall while Leinster could be in deep, deep trouble if they fall to Harlequins again
Leinster skills coach Richie Murphy told us, earlier in the week, that while the players have been told to prioritise securing a home win in any way possible, the coaching staff have spoken about bonus points.
The ideal scenario, Murphy believes, will be sending Quins home, to the outskirts of London, with zero points. Winning is key but beating the Premiership side by more than seven points is Matt O’Connor’s main aim. It is good to see, too, that the Australian has selected an attacking backline.
Fergus McFadden’s latest injury and Gordon D’Arcy’s calf strain has forced O’Connor’s hand somewhat but Leinster supporters will be urging new midfield pairing Ian Madigan and Luke Fitzgerald on. If the pair play to their scintillating potential they could return the Leinster backline to their former glory.
O’Connor did have the option of starting Zane Kirchner or Brendan Macken at 13 but has opted for Fitzgerald’s game-breaking to make the difference against a Quins defence that did a fine job of stultifying their visitors at The Stoop on Sunday. In Fitzerald’s 16 games last season he scored five tries but interesting statistics are found in clean breaks (29) and offloads (21). Add to that, Ian Madigan’s play-making licence at 12 and Conor O’Shea’s charges should have their hands full this evening.
Anthony Foley has brought JJ Hanrahan back in from the cold to partner Andrew Smith – a player who has done well since his arrival from the Brumbies.
Hanrahan has lost the arm-wrestle for the starting out-half role with Ian Keatley mixing excellent performances with lacklustre outings and loose kicking displays. His agent tested the waters, earlier this week, by mooting a summer move to Northampton Saints.
Some individuals (on the national airwaves and in social media) were suggesting that want-away talk had secured Hanrahan the 12 jersey for a daunting away trip to Clermont. It is more likely, however, that Foley is chasing scores as he knows forward power alone will not conquer the Top 14 giants.
Clermont have scored 22 tries in their last five games at Stade Marcel Michelin and have only conceded one. Teams looking to batten down the hatches have eventually been blown away. The blueprint for success comes from Castres league win at Clermont back in April. They targeted the Clermont line-out, needed their pack to hold their own and strung Clermont’s defensive line by playing wide when the opportunity was there. Munster need to take to the pitch with try-scoring attentions.
SportsJOE rugby columnist David Wallace would like to see the Castleisland native get a run of games at outside centre. He told us, ‘He has superb agility and a low centre of gravity that reminds me of Brian O’Driscoll in that respect. He is also very similar in that he can make something out of nothing… With a bit more space to operate in, he could do some real damage.’
Hanrahan, like Fitzgerald, is a player capable of beating his man and infiltrating defences. Injury and risk-taking are the reasons Fitzgerald and Hanrahan have their chances but they now own the jerseys and can will be in their element once action commences.
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