Warriors wary of wounded Leinster
Loss of Europe crown will make Irish giants more dangerous, warns Rennie
THERE comes a point in elite sport when those who reach the peak of their profession begin to redefine greatness. They change the landscape around them and recalibrate the boundaries of what is possible.
Brooks Koepka is golf’s answer to this right now, monopolising the majors by winning four of the last eight he has contested across a two-year period.
Manchester City are doing likewise in football, with their FA Cup victory last weekend ensuring they became the first team ever to win the domestic Treble in English football.
This is where Leinster come into it in rugby. They have lifted the European Cup a record four times over the past ten years. No other team has won it more times in this period.
It’s been a hell of a purple patch, made all the more impressive by the fact that they quite often marry it to success in the Pro14.
The Irish outfit have won the title on five occasions which, once again, is a total that no other club can compete with.
Safe to say, then, that when a team is so accustomed to silverware, they won’t take too kindly to their trophies being taken away from them.
Particularly not the two big ones. But that’s the situation that now presents itself ahead of the Pro14 final against Glasgow Warriors at Celtic Park on Saturday night.
After completing a famous double last season, Leinster have already lost their European crown following their defeat to Saracens in the final a couple of weeks ago.
The prospect of them losing both titles in a season is one which Glasgow head coach Dave Rennie believes will ensure motivation is sky high when World Player of the Year Johnny Sexton and Co make the journey across the Irish sea later this week.
Warning his players to be wary of the wounded animal, Rennie said: ‘Leinster are a good side who are generally tough to beat.
‘Saracens threw everything at them for a long period and they stood pretty strong for a big chunk of that game, so we know what’s coming. They’re notorious for hanging on to the ball multiphase, so you can’t turn over the pill against them or kick poorly.
‘I’m sure they’ll be highly motivated. They’re very aspirational and they’ve already missed out on one trophy, so I’m sure they’ll be determined to grab the other one.’
Insisting that his players won’t deviate from their natural inclination to throw the ball around and attack, Rennie said: ‘At this stage of the season, a lot of people get a bit nervous and play within themselves. They maybe play conservatively as a result of that.
‘But what’s got us here is the brand of footie we play.
‘I was really pleased with our attitude against Ulster in the semi because we really went out and expressed ourselves. We want to do the same in the final.
‘In terms of the final we won in 2015, I haven’t watched it recently, but I have seen the game. It’ll probably be a similar mindset as it was back then.
‘You had Leone Nakarawa throwing offloads all over the place that day and creating mayhem.
‘We’re well aware of the strength of Leinster. They’ve been a powerhouse in Europe over the past few years.
‘But we’re in a good place right now. We’re playing well and we have a clear understanding of what we’re trying to do. We’re excited by the challenge.’
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen appeared to aim a dig at the Warriors last weekend.
Following his side’s semi-final victory over Munster, he remarked that ‘Glasgow players all support Pain game: Sexton (far left) was crestfallen after Leinster’s European final loss to Saracens Rangers’. It was a verbal hand grenade intended to drum up some more support from Celtic fans and their Irish connections.
Rennie, though, refused to take the bait. Calling for a united city, he said: ‘He’s a good man, Leo, I like him. I don’t read a lot of press, so our media officer filled me in on what had been talked about.
‘But our thinking is that we’ve got lots of players who support different football sides, based on where they originate from.
‘We have a heap of football fans who come and watch us play as they enjoy the entertainment and that’s what we’re looking for.
‘We represent Glasgow and we hope that, regardless of what support you’re involved in, you’ll want to be there for what should be a fantastic occasion.’
Key to Glasgow’s good run of form over recent weeks has been Kyle Steyn, the versatile back who was drafted in from the Scotland Sevens circuit back in February.
The biggest compliment that can be paid to Steyn is the fact that Huw Jones can’t get into the team currently — and that’s