Absent friends costing Leinster dear

Leinster 19 Glasgow 23:LAST WEEK outhalf Matt Berquist was stretchered off the pitch. This week flanker Dominic Ryan and secondrow Kevin McLaughlin joined him with injuries that looked serious enough to force long periods out of the game.

Coach Joe Schmidt now has 23 players unavailable for selection on what was a bad day for the province, and when Peter Horne ran in what was to be Glasgow’s winning try on 66 minutes McLaughlin, Luke Fitzgerald and number eight Leo Avua’a were all on the ground needing attention.

This capitulation was born more out of inexperience and know-how than anything. Even during a 10-minute period in the second half when Leinster were a man up after Rob Harley was binned, the home side’s reward was a penalty by Isa Nacewa and one against from Duncan Weir for a zero net return.

Option taking in the final 10 minutes when Leinster were banging on the door was also questionable, Schmidt acutely aware that because of the missing internationals and injuries, players are being forced to learn on the job.

“I felt we had four good attacking opportunities in the first half. There’s a lot of frustration. Mads (Ian Madigan, who scored a fine try) is learning all the time. You tend to learn from your hard knocks more than you do from your good games. He’ll learn a bit today,” said Schmidt. “It’s testing the depth and we’re just going to have to delve a bit deeper and find some more players from the academy to fill some spots.”

Ireland’s success over Australia and a possibly longer stay at the World Cup may also have consequences for Leinster.

“To be honest if we are without or internationals for the next five weeks because they have put themselves in a good position for that to be the case now, we can’t afford to be without guys,” he said.

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; F Carr, E O’Malley, L Fitzgerald, D Kearney; I Madigan, C Willis; H Van der Werwe, R Strauss, DJ Hagan; K McLaughlin, D Toner; R Ruddock, D Ryan, L Auva’a. Replacements: J Murphy for Ryan (46 mins), N White for Hagan (48 mins), D Browne for McLaughlin (66 mins), A Dundon for Auva’a, B Macken for Fitzgerald (both 67 mins), J Cooney for Willis (75 mins).

GLASGOW: G Hogg; F Aramburu, R Dewey, T Nathan, C Shaw; S Wight, H Pyrgos; R Grant, F Gillies, E Kalman; T Ryder, N Campbell; R Harley, C Fusaro, R Pitman. Replacements: P MacArthur for Gillies, M Cusack for Kalman, D Weir for Wight (all 40 mins).

Referee: A McMenemy (SRU).