RUGBY OPINION
Inconsistent form a concern for Leinster ahead of Bath tie
By Daire Walsh
LEINSTER are set to face the biggest challenge of their season at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday afternoon, when they entertain Bath in the quarter-final of the European Rugby Champions Cup. While their erratic form in the Guinness Pro12 has been a source for frustration for many of the Blues’ supporters, an appearance in the final-four of this revamped competition would be a major shot in the arm for Matt O’Connor’s side.
O’Connor will welcome back all of his international front-line players for this crunch encounter, but for last Friday evening’s meeting with Pro12 table-toppers Glasgow Warriors at the RDS, his hand was limited by the unavailability of a handful of Six Nations heroes.
Ian Madigan, Eoin Reddan, Marty Moore and Jordi Murphy all featured from the start following their cameo appearances against Scotland, but from the team that began the same contest at Murrayfield, only Cian Healy and Luke Fitzgerald were included in the match-day squad.
The services of Healy and Fitzgerald were required in the second half, as a rampant Glasgow had opened up a 20 point cushion (27-7) by the mid-way point. Suncroft’s Fergus McFadden had crossed the whitewash in the opening period, but when the action resumed, Leinster’s chances of success looked rather slim.
They made an extraordinary recovery after the restart, though, and thanks to tries by Isaac Boss (two) and Jordi Murphy, as well as the kicking accuracy of Madigan, they moved into a 34-27 lead nine minutes from the end.
Yet, Glenn Bryce’s late converted try meant that Leinster ended with three points (owing to four tries in a 34-34 draw) rather than the maximum of five, and courtesy of Osprey’s comprehensive triumph over Zebre two days later, they are currently four points outside of the top-four with just four games remaining.
Meanwhile, the contrasting fortunes of the Kildare club’s in Division 2A of the Ulster Bank League continued during the past weekend, as Naas leap-frogged NUIM Barnhall, and moved into the top-half of the third-tier table.
Naas had entered their latest home fixture against Banbridge with an impressive five wins from six outings, and despite playing with a numerical advantage for much of the proceedings, they secured a hard-earned 26-19 win over the Ulster men.
Rob Campbell, Henry Bryce and Johnny Delaney all registered tries in the first-half, and with 15 points (23-8) separating the teams at the break, the Foreanughts side once again had victory in their sights. Banbridge did forge a worthy comeback attempt, but with the reliable Peter Osborne contributing 11 points, they moved up to seventh position.
With the bottom six clubs facing the drop under the league’s new five division system next season, Naas’ safety is not guaranteed just yet, but in the case of Barnhall, they are just one point above 11th-place UCC.
A solitary win in five games made life difficult for the Leixlip club, and although second-half scores by Michael Mellett and Simon Gillespie offered them a fighting chance at home to Nenagh Ormond on Saturday, they ultimately succumbed to a 24-11 defeat.