Ireland v England – Part 2
There’s more to Leinster and Saracens than the countries they represent but the rivalries forged in the Six Nations will be critical to the outcome of this quarter-final encounter,
THE supporting cast has changed, but many of the central characters remain from Twickenham. This has the look of a rematch, even if the participants are having little to do with that narrative.
Of course it is too simplistic, and needless to say Leinster v Saracens lives on its own merits, but two weeks after the international teams went to battle in the Six Nations the leading teams from England and Ireland go head to head in Dublin with the stakes high.
The core of both sides is drawn from the national squads, and with talent that is supplemented by some serious international class, the key battles will be between some familiar faces.
There are Lions front-rows and half-backs, all four second-rows and dynamic hookers.
England’s scrum-half will be looking for a redemptive performance; Ireland’s openside will be looking to keep his dream season going.
In total, 19 of the 46 players involved tomorrow featured at Twickenham – 13 from Leinster and six from Saracens.
The overseas influence will be strong, no doubt – there’s no keeping Isa Nacewa, James Lowe and Scott Fardy quiet, while Sean Maitland and Liam Williams on the Saracens wings will certainly have a say, and Schalk Burger is a familiar figure to all who’ll attend tomorrow’s game.
PROTAGONISTS
Yet, so many of the key decisionmakers remain from the Six Nations battle that it is hard to deny that it will be a feature of the build-up even if the protagonists are having none of it.
“It has nothing to do with it,” Saracens coach Mark McCall said this week. “We’re not England. We have four or five of those players but they are all Saracens players.
“We should be proud of the fact that this is our seventh consecutive quarter-final. We’ve won our last six knock-out games in this competition; this is one of the more difficult knock-out games that we’ve had and we’re going to have to play as well as we’ve played this season to win.”
Like England, Saracens have looked a fading force at times this season but the former Ulster centre was pleasantly surprised at the condition his players came back from international action in.
“We weren’t really sure what we were going to get back from the Six Nations from our players – how they were going to be feeling emotionally more than anything else – but we were pleasantly surprised,” he said.
“They’ve been massive contributors this week. Even though the Ireland game seemed to be a big game for them at the time, this is massive as well. The likes of Mako (Vunipola), Richard Wigglesworth and Jamie George have been outstanding this week.”
Equally, Leo Cullen gave the notion that this is England v Ireland mark II the short shrift.
“Well, there’s a couple of Argentinians, Australians and South Africans,” he said with a wide smile yesterday.
“There are certain similarities… the nine and
10. Owen Farrell and Johnny (Sexton), two key figures for sure. Across the board as well, the locks etc, etc.
“It’s different. We play slightly different to the way Ireland play, Saracens play differently to the way England play, so it’s a different game.”
Cian Healy believes that Leinster will face a very different and more difficult attacking threat from the reigning European champions than he and his Ireland colleagues dealt with a fortnight ago.
Like England, Saracens will miss Billy Vunipola, around whom so much of their attacking threat centres, but they will still operate with a forward pod of carriers who will retain the capacity to release Farrell and friends, wrapping around when the moment comes.
“There’s probably a bit more creativity with the Sarries lads,” the prop said. “There aren’t as many one-out runners.
“Lads that are in their national squad do play pretty important roles and we will look to shut them out, but they are also pivot players and not just looking for that physical game; they ask questions of your defence.”
Leinster, too, will present different problems to the famed Sarries rearguard with their full-court press and multi-phase, off-loading attack. Ireland, for all of their merits, don’t have anyone quite like James Lowe.
There is the tactical aspect, but there is also the momentum factor.
Saracens’ success has mapped England’s in the past two years, with key men enjoying a bulletproof period in which they conquered all and collected bucket-loads of trophies.
For the likes of Maro Itoje and Jamie George, this is unfamiliar territory and there is a need to bounce back.
Leinster, meanwhile, are in a happier place with a number of players yet to taste defeat in Ireland colours, and James Ryan yet to lose a game of pro rugby.
Springbok Burger is fully aware of the halo effect that international success can have on players when they return to the provincial environment.
“It is obviously one of the nicest things when you are playing well at international level and you’ve just won a Grand Slam and then you come into your franchise, it is just a knock-on effect,” he said.
“You just roll into it. There is going to be massive energy over there. Obviously our boys have come back from a bit of a disappointing campaign, but then this is home. I think for them it is a different challenge.
“They want to go out and just enjoy playing on this stage.
“I have been in that situation many times before. It is the first time they are going through it under Eddie Jones.
PRESSURE
“These things happen. We used to play the old Tri-Nations – twice against the All Blacks and twice against the Wallabies – and without doing much wrong you lose four on the bounce.
“What is tough is there is a lot of added pressure with losing and not having the momentum. But the wheel turns and a couple of months is a long time in sport, especially rugby.”
Whatever about months, Saracens are attempting to turn that mood around in a fortnight and are under additional pressure as the last men standing of the English clubs.
Leinster have already accounted for the Premiership champions, Exeter but they are primed for a tougher test against an experienced European side.
English teams have struggled at the breakdown all season. They commit fewer bodies in their domestic competition and that has failed them against the French, Welsh and Irish sides.
McCall will have learnt from that and there will be little doubting the area will be a battle tomorrow.
Leinster’s senior coach Stuart Lancaster believes the emotions of the Twickenham clash will be harnessed by both sides as kickoff approaches.
“I think it’ll work both ways; there’s be a spring in the step and the confidence that winning a Grand Slam brings, but that said, every game starts from zero, as we saw on Saturday,” the former England coach said.
“We had quite a few guys that played in the Grand Slam (match) and we got beaten fair and square by Ospreys.
“It works on the flip-side for Saracens, too. Lads will leave a situation where they have not got the outcome they wanted, and the motivation is to go back to the club and play. They’re a tightknit group.”
So, the protagonists don’t see it but for the nearly 50,000 fans attending and those watching at home there is a sense of unfinished business to conclude.
Can the Irish players doubledown or will there be a modicum of revenge for Saracens’ English contingent?
The Aviva awaits.