Murphy blots out Toulon torment as Leinster eye Pro12 title
By Daire Walsh
RABO DIRECT PRO12: Ospreys v Leinster
Five days on from their crushing Heineken Cup exit to reigning champions Toulon, Leinster will aim to kick-start a memorable end to the season when they face the Ospreys this evening.
Blues flanker Jordi Murphy emphasised that the focus within the squad will have to shift to retaining the RaboDirect Pro12 title.
“More than a few front-up tackles were missed, and you can’t go to France and play a team like Toulon and expect to win,” Murphy remarked at Irish Rugby HQ yesterday, where the Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge was launched.
“We’ve had a culture of winning in the last few years and we want to keep that up. We can’t do anything about last Sunday now, so what’s the point in thinking about it? The dressing room was not a very happy place after. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen to us in the Rabo either now. We know what we have to do, we just have to win.”
If Leinster’s conquerors are to claim back-to-back European crowns, then a second successive victory over Irish opposition will be required at the semi-final stage, against Munster.
An already daunting task for Rob Penney’s side has been made more difficult by the absence of skipper Peter O’Mahony through injury for the remainder of the season, but despite acknowledging that his international compatriot will be a massive loss on the pitch, Murphy knows he still has a role to play off it.
“Peter is an incredible character. It’s obvious to see on the pitch, and he’s Munster captain. He has captained Ireland before, he’s an incredible leader. He leads by example. He puts his whole body on the pitch,” the Lansdowne man added.
“It is a blow for Munster, but CJ Stander came on [against Toulouse] and got man of the match. They’ve got a good squad.”
Meanwhile Noel Reid comes in for Leinster at 12 for the game against the Ospreys tonight with Gordon D’Arcy moving outside the young Clontarf man. Reid starred for the Leinster A team last Friday night, scoring a try as they comfortably overcame Munster A in the B&I Cup quarter-final 47-15. Fergus McFadden suffered a knee medial strain against Toulon and is likely to be him out for a few weeks.
LEINSTER: R Kearney, Z Kirchner, G D’Arcy, N Reid, D Kearney, J Gopperth, I Boss; C Healy, S Cronin, M Moore, L Cullen (capt), M McCarthy, K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip.
Replacements: A Dundon, M Bent, M Ross, D Toner, J Murphy, L McGrath, C O’Shea, D Fanning.