Leinster power Lancaster back to the top table
ONCE the Scarlets’ ordeal was over, captain Ken Owens was asked if anyone can stop Leinster winning the Champions Cup and he appeared unsure how to respond.
The long pause told its own tale. Eventually, the Lions hooker said: ‘It will take some side to stop them.’ It was a polite way of saying ‘no chance’.
Leinster might as well stitch a fourth star on to their shirts now — to signify joining Toulouse as the most successful European ‘club’ of all time. The Dublin-based province are imperious at present and all the evidence suggests that Racing 92 will be unable to halt the thundering juggernaut in Bilbao next month.
The 38- 16 dismantling of the Scarlets was of the highest Test class; a ruthless demonstration of
power and precision. This Leinster side have such vast stocks of youthful talent and international pedigree that they could go on to be the greatest champions ever.
What they have done this season almost beggars belief. Their flawless campaign has featured home-and-away wins over the champions of England, the leaders of France’s Top 14 and the leaders of the other Pro14 conference. They have also blasted past the European champions and the Welsh region who swept to Pro12 glory in Dublin last season.
Veterans such as Rob Kearney and Cian Healy have been galvanised by the emergence of new sensations such as James Ryan, Dan Leavy and Garry Ringrose. Leinster keep churning out brilliant rookies and it is a stunning triumph for the Irish system.
But at the heart of it is a resurgent Englishman. Stuart Lancaster was derided when his England team crashed out of their own World Cup in 2015 and he soon found himself out of work. Yet such has been the scale of his impact with Leinster, former Ireland No 8 Jamie Heaslip — who retired last month — put him on the same pedestal as Joe Schmidt, who is regarded as a coaching genius.
Lancaster (right) is being linked with the vacant director of rugby role at Harlequins. That would be a good fit. Frankly, if he hadn’t done the job already he’d be seen as a frontrunner to succeed England head coach Eddie Jones.
His reputation is repaired and a return to Test rugby, which seemed a remote notion not so long ago, increasingly appears inevitable, if that is his wish.