GEARED UP FOR
Carbery display gives Reds extra pep ahead of trip to Gloucester
MOMENTUM or management? Johann van Graan and Leo Cullen had contrasting approaches to this looming season-defining block of European encounters.
Van Graan loaded his squad up for their visit to Galway. Eight of the frontliners who featured in the 26-17 win over Leinster last month suited up again for the clash with Connacht, with Conor Murray and CJ Stander getting off the bench for good measure.
In contrast, 14 Leinster players who had featured at Thomond Park got last weekend off. Leo Cullen sent out a second-string outfit to demolish a similarly depleted Ulster side at the RDS.
A fiendish six-day turnaround will see Munster arrive at Kingsholm on Friday night to face a fired-up Gloucester. They will certainly be battle-hardened after back-to-back wins against Leinster and Connacht in recent weeks. Some tired and weary bodies will be reporting for duty at Munster’s HQ in Limerick this morning, but they are heading back into the European Champions Cup with a spring in their step.
Chris Farrell’s return to action was timely. Munster’s attack is better when the Belfast-born midfielder is on the pitch. His offloading game and physical presence provides a cutting edge that has been sorely missed, particularly in the recent clash with Leinster when the hosts struggled to convert vast amounts of possession and territory into points.
Joey Carbery’s man-of-the-match performance was most welcome but his final quarter cameo at full-back to accommodate Tyler Bleyendaal at outhalf may give Van Graan something to think about going forward. The pair linked brilliantly for the fourth and ultimately match-clinching try of the evening.
Joe Schmidt and David Nucifora engineered Carbery’s move to Munster last summer with the express intention of getting him more exposure in the No10 shirt.
Cullen was never shy in stating that he thought the vast expanses of the backfield was the perfect place to harness Carbery’s talents. Stuart Lancaster seemed to think so as well.
Carbery’s attacking prowess has always been apparent, but his form from the tee in recent weeks will have been most pleasing to the Munster management. After his goal-kicking yips away to Castres last month, Carbery has recovered from that French nightmare with flawless kicking displays in recent weeks.
Every point will be vital as Munster look to negotiate a tricky fortnight taking in meetings with Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs, the Premiership leaders. A home quarter-final back at Thomond Park is the prize at stake.
Leinster’s frontliners will report for duty at UCD today fresh and ready for the biggest test of the season. The likes of Johnny Sexton, Garry Ringrose, Tadhg Furlong and James Ryan have not played a competitive game since that defeat in Limerick on December 29.
Toulouse will arrive in the capital next Saturday in confident mood. They are currently battling for top spot with Clermont at the summit of Top 14. A hard-fought 27-20 win at Agen on Saturday night was the French side’s 12th successive win, in all competitions. This current outfit do not suffer with the travel sickness that is synonymous with French teams on the road. Toulouse have beaten Grenoble, Perpignan, Bath, Wasps and Pau away this season. The RDS will hold no fear for Ugo Mola’s men.
The added worry for Leinster is they might be a tad undercooked coupled with a lunchtime kick-off, which never makes for a hostile atmosphere.
That 28-27 defeat at the Stade Ernest Wallon back in October will serve as a warning for Leinster as well. Cullen’s men arrived at Toulouse HQ a week after they inflicted a 52-3 hammering on Wasps. The province were being hailed as the greatest team to ever grace the competition and perhaps Leinster started to believe their own hype a little as Toulouse staged a Sunday afternoon ambush. There will be no complacency this time round.
‘They have a belief now,’ Cullen observed.
‘They’ve gone away and got the draw against Clermont where they rotated a lot of players out of their team.
‘They are very dangerous with a very big squad.
‘Even from when we played them, they had a few good out injured, one or two suspensions from the Bath game that are all back now.’
Dan McFarland effectively threw in the towel when he named his squad for Saturday night’s assignment in Dublin.
Regardless of the personnel in Leinster ranks, you simply can’t bring a depleted squad to Dublin and expect anything less than a hiding.
Racing 92 are in Belfast on Saturday and the visit of the Parisian giants has taken precedence over domestic matters.
Racing are blowing hot and cold this season, but they will bring a squad loaded with attacking intent. Devising a plan to shut down the likes Simon Zebo, Virimi Vakatawa and Leone Nakawara will be top of McFarland’s agenda this week.