Holders fortunate to survive

John O'Sullivanreflects on a fraught night which tested the nerves of the home fans

IT WASN’T a night for the faint -hearted, an understatement that the Leinster supporters only fully appreciated on the final whistle. Victory was measured in millimetres. The European champions survived but it was a massively uncomfortable experience for their supporters and one suspects, for the management team.

Ecstatic scenes at the final whistle were as much about relief and, while victory will largely eradicate the palpitations of the previous 80 plus minutes, it shouldn’t camouflage a night when, had Clermont a place-kicker, they would have managed a famous win.

That’s not to denigrate the courage and at times breathtaking quality of the Leinster performance but they made it so hard for themselves. Ill-discipline, a creaking scrum in the second half and the concession of two soft tries almost cost them.

That they survived is a measure of the character of this bunch of players but it’ll take more the next day.

Leinster’s defensive line speed was far too passive initially which allowed Clermont to not alone physically boss the collisions in terms of momentum but also get their offloading game going from the opening whistle. Three times in the first 60 seconds, a Clermont player offloaded in the tackle, getting over the gain-line.

The French side also cleverly varied the point of their attack, using their forward power on the fringes, employing the cross-kick and also getting wings Julien Malzieu and Aurelien Rougerie to hug the touchline, thereby naturally creating space between the Leinster players.

It kept home side guessing, never a positive state of affairs for any team because it places a massive premium on individuals making good decisions.

James’s chip for Malzieu’s try was facilitated by a blatant push on Eoin Reddan, missed by the referee Dave Pearson, but the Australian’s shrewd vision underlined Clermont’s intent to keep switching the point of attack.

Leinster’s route back into the match basically came from an excellent kick-chase of the high ball, exemplified by the outstanding Rob Kearney. If he didn’t win it outright he nailed the catcher but equally as important were the numbers that the home side got to the ruck; it led to turnovers which gave the Irish province perfect ball from which to counterattack.

Another vital component in Leinster’s revival was their ability to launch Kevin McLaughlin around the fringes and into a physical mismatch with Morgan Parra or Brock James. This gave his pack a target going forward and, coupled with ensuing quick ruck ball, led to Jamie Heaslip’s second try.

Clermont’s inability to translate penalty opportunities into points was having a destabilising effect on confidence and that manifest itself in chasing their own high kicks, which relied on individuals rather than a concerted pressure. They were also being outfought at ruck time, not committing enough numbers and thereby conceding turnovers. This facet of the game alone provided Leinster with their 20 points in the first half.

The French sides’ desire to put width on the game was directly reliant on winning ruck ball and getting front foot momentum: for 25 minutes in the opening half they had too many forwards close to the touchline and not performing their primary duty of guaranteeing ball at the breakdown. They also needed to be more proactive in chasing garryowens.

Leinster’s facility to give away penalties, ones that didn’t need to be conceded was giving the visitors momentum they didn’t deserve. Clermont immediately reminded Leinster of just how dangerous they could be when they got their driving wedge going forward at pace. Defenders were sucked in, there was space out wide and the French side exploited it.

The home side’s indiscipline was a real Achilles heel. It wasn’t simply about giving away place-kicking chances but it denied Leinster continuity, field position and the opportunity to ratchet up the pressure. The scrum had become a serious liability in that regard too. They had demonstrated in the first half that if they could hold on to the ball through multiple phases then they had the ability to score points.

Clermont coach Vern Cotter recognised that his side needed more athleticism to first and foremost be more effective at the breakdown but also to ensure a better match-up defensively when his side did not have the ball. It gave them fresh impetus but it was the recurring theme of relentlessly transgressing that was killing Leinster.

Pearson’s lack of consistency of interpretation was risible but he was the ultimate arbiter of fact and, galling as it was, Leinster had to heed his direction. They didn’t and it was killing them. The thing that might have been driving Michael Cheika demented in the stand was that when Leinster put pace and width on the game they were making huge yardage and but for some further borderline officiating could have been further ahead.

Clermont went back to their most successful gambit, the power game alternating between forwards taking it around the fringes, through a corridor about 10 metres wider or straight through the middle. Parra was varying the tactic cleverly and Leinster were just about hanging on but it was fingertip stuff.