Leinster hope to rise above pool of chaos by staying in control
CONTAINING four former winners of the tournament, Pool 1 always looked like providing plenty of colour for this year’s Champions Cup but it is threatening to turn chaotic off the pitch as well as on it.
Yesterday it emerged that Bath are looking to replay their opening-day defeat to Toulouse on the grounds that Irish referee Andrew Brace called a halt to proceedings early, according to the television clock, and should have issued red cards to a pair of the French team’s players per subsequent disciplinary hearings.
Jerome Kaino and Lucas Pointud were hit with bans this week and Toulouse have added further intrigue by announcing that they intend to appeal the five-week suspension meted out to their two-time World Cup-winning All Black flanker who misses out on tomorrow’s game.
Far-fetched as it might sound, Bath’s owner Bruce Craig appears deadly serious about wanting a replay and plans to follow his comments, which were reported in the English press yesterday, with a legal letter to tournament organisers EPCR.
Such a move would be unprecedented, but Craig insisted yesterday, “I think the game should be replayed and we will do what we can to get equity.”
It could all get very messy, which is an added incentive for Leinster to win tomorrow and keep themselves out of the wrangling.
They hammered Wasps on the opening night and take on Toulouse tomorrow. Victory would put them in full control of the pool regardless of what happens in the various appeals.
Of course, Bath wouldn’t have needed a replay if Freddie Burns had simply scored one of the two opportunities presented to him in the closing stages of last Saturday’s game.
The full-back missed a straightforward penalty, before butchering a certain score with help from Toulouse winger Maxime Médard.
Leinster had no such drama in their eight-try demolition of the other English team in the pool and their biggest challenge this weekend is to shut out the relentless positivity flowing their way from outside the camp.
Lawrence Dallaglio’s comments comparing the current champions to the All Blacks will have ears burning as the province make their way to the south of France, but Leo Cullen (pictured) reckons people are getting carried away.
“There were a lot of things that fell our way, the yellow card etc, etc. We just need to crack on,” the coach said.
“There’s no one getting too excited here, I don’t think. We’re keen just to improve, keep getting better and better. “There’s huge scope for us to get better. “One thing we talked about this week is doing it in the RDS is a totally different challenge to doing it away in France against a team that is going to be highly motivated off the back of a win away last week.
“If Toulouse win the game, they are out in front in the pool.
“For us, we need to concentrate on the things that will deliver us a good performance. If we get a good performance, there is a good chance we get a positive result.
“That would set us up well for what’s ahead in the competition. Things can escalate quickly, I suppose.”
Rob Kearney is a loss to the Leinster back-line for their trip to the home of the only other team to have won this competition four times, with Jordan Larmour moving to full-back and Joe Tomane coming on to the wing.
Rhys Ruddock continues at blindside flanker after coming in at late notice last week while Cian Healy is fit enough to start.
Whereas Toulouse would once have fielded a team brimming with familiar faces, this is a new-look line-up and Kaino is a considerable loss to their pack.
Ugo Mola has selected France U-20 starlet Romain Ntamack – son of Emile – at inside centre and the fleet-footed teenager will have to be carefully watched.
Up front, they have plenty of size and, in Charlie Faumuina, a highly-skilled tighthead prop to rival Tadhg Furlong.
Along with Joe Tekori, the former All Black will be tasked with winning collisions and freeing his hands to release the mobile backline outside him.
Sébastien Bézy is a proper French scrum-half who can control matters, but Leinster will be determined to impose their own game on proceedings by keeping the ball.
With a formidable set-piece, an excellent breakdown game and in-form decision-makers at half-back, they will feel confident of creating enough opportunity for the array of threats in the backline to prosper in good conditions.
“For us it’s just needing to focus on putting them under as much pressure as we possibly can,” Cullen said of a Toulouse team who are back in the Champions Cup after a year in the wilderness of the Challenge Cup.
“Both sides of the ball; when we defend, making sure they feel the pressure of our defence and all the work that goes into putting that together and when we have the ball, trying to make sure that we’re always asking questions and seeing where the space is, being clever about the way we attack.”
A nine-day turnaround allowed them to put plenty of focus on tomorrow’s opponents.
They know that if they impose their own game and play at a high tempo there are few teams who can live with them, but Cullen has experienced enough difficult days in France to know not to take things for granted.
After the highs of last weekend, Toulouse have the potential to bring Leinster crashing back down to earth if they are just a little bit off their game.
So far, this team have shown little evidence that they are open to distraction and they are more than capable of rising above the noise and the controversy to get the job done. Verdict: Leinster
Toulouse v Leinster,
Live, tomorrow, 3.15; BT Sport