NOTHING IN IT
One point separates top four in PRO12
ROUND 21 was supposed to be decisive in helping sort out the PRO12 play-off pecking order.
It started with four points separating the top four but instead finished with the standings even more claustrophobic, the leading trio of Ospreys, Glasgow and Munster deadlocked on 70 points with fourth place Ulster only a solitary point worse off.
We should thank the meddling French and England f or this engrossing photo finish as their demands for meritocracy-based Champions Cup qualifying has given the Celtic tournament an unprecedented competitiveness.
A worrying chasm had existed between first and fourth place in recent years — 12 points last season, 15 in 2013, 16 in 2012 and a whopping 20 in 2011. And its consequences were evident in the semi-finals as no away team in seven seasons last four knockout games had managed to pull off an away win to reach the decider.
However, just look at the closeness that has now prevailed. ‘No one’s run away with it,’ enthused Munster’s Anthony Foley. ‘Everyone was fighting tooth and nail throughout the year to get results to top the table.’
‘Four quality sides,’ Ulster’s Neil Doak chipped in about the warring semi-finalists who have one last match to get through before the lie of the knockout land is finally confirmed. ‘On their day anybody can beat anybody.’
Not so last Saturday as a helterskelter Kingspan Stadium denouement — Iain Henderson’s red card followed by Keith Earls’ wellworked unconverted try before Paul Marshall’s even better riposte with the clock in the red and a conversion from the nerveless Paddy Jackson — left it honours even, 23all in a top quality interpro.
It was Declan Kidney who coined the phrase that drawing a match was like kissing your sister. Consecutive Six Nations ties against France had conspired against him keeping his job a few years ago, but drawn matches have added an exciting frisson to the PRO12, Saturday’s stalemate i n Belfast being the 15th tie in this season’s 126 matches.
It’s the sort of increased competitiveness that has Foley reticent to agree that Munster have perhaps the best final day fixture next Saturday, a home slot against noth- ing-to-play-for Dragons in Cork compared to l eaders Ospreys heading to top six chasers Connacht and second place Glasgow hosting Ulster in a Scotstoun blockbuster. ‘Everyone assumes that [a fivepointer for Munster] but we know how good Dragons are,’ said the coach who is uncertain about the availability of Simon Zebo ( back) and Tommy O’Donnell (hamstring).
‘We’ll take nothing for granted. Other results are out of our hands and we have just got to do the best we can for ourselves. ‘No semi-final has been won by the away side so that says it all in itself. That’s why everyone is fighting that hard. Everybody has their goal and our goal is to play one in Thomond Park.’
Round 21’s Friday night develop- ment — Ospreys going top with their home win over Glasgow — first muddied the weekend play-off waters and it will be interesting to see what way Ulster decide to go in the position-defining round 22.
Securing a home semi-final is a tall order, as they need to win in Scotland and hope either Ospreys or Munster slip up, so the temptation does exist to rest up some key resources and instead start putting their main focus on trying to win an away semi-final the following weekend.
Doak’s thinking wasn’t that way inclined the other night, mind. ‘We have got to go to Glasgow and make sure we shore up in a few areas to get another good performance and hopefully get the result.’
Ulster encouragingly produced a dainty, expansive, dry ball brand against Munster but handling errors meant three try chances went a-begging before Tommy Bowe’s sublime effort on the stroke of the interval.
Bowe then turned culprit in the second half, failing to find Chris Henry and leaving them reliant on that courageous Hail Mary play at the death with 14 players.
‘It’s frustrating. Against the big teams when you create opportunities you have to capitalise on them,’ rued Doak, who is awaiting updates on the concussed Roger Wilson and the hamstrung Craig Gilroy.
In a rollicking tournament of small margins, the price Ulster could ultimately pay for not beating Munster is the PRO12’s May 30 decider in Belfast taking place without the presence of the host club.