Ireland's big two already facing point of no return

RUGBY HEINEKEN CUP: BONUS-POINT defeats to English sides at the full-time whistle left Irish fans, and even a few players, howling at a French referee and left the big two of Munster and Leinster already facing a point of no return.

The one salient fact going into next weekend’s Heineken Cup action is that no side has lost their opening two pool games and progressed to the knock-out stages.

The difference is that Leinster’s need looks more pressing and tougher. Not only did Munster procure their bonus point from a more unlikely scenario in Saturday’s thrilling, 31-27 defeat away to Northampton, but, whereas they entertain Treviso next Saturday, Leinster are away to Brive.

The French side may have lost 24-12 away to the Scarlets, but in their first home game, and with their core of English players, they’ll be up for the visit of the European champions next Saturday evening. It’s also the kind of game Leinster can foul up: think Castres last season and Bourgoin four seasons ago.

But they were from positions of relative comfort, whereas this game is followed by a trek to the Scarlets in round three. There is also every chance London Irish will set a hot pace in Pool One, with the visit of the Scarlets to the Madejski Stadium followed by back-to-back games with Brive.

That was Munster’s fourth defeat out of five in opening games on English soil, but they have gone on to qualify on the last three occasions. Furthermore, from the precipice of a potential bonus-point win for Northampton and a 5-0 deficit in terms of match points, to claw back to a 4-1 deficit could prove hugely important.

“It isn’t the worse thing in the world,” said coach Tony McGahan, “to come to a place like Northampton and be where we were, under the pump at 28-14 with them well in control of the ball. But that’s the game of rugby. It can swing, and you need to march forward once it comes your way. We hung in really well and we had an opportunity at the end to snatch it, but we came up short.

“At one end we’re delighted with the effort, it was very brave, but at the same time a victory this evening would have set us up very well. So, three points, we feel, left on the field.”

Treviso’s shock, 9-8 win over Perpignan in Pool One, only their second win in 26 games and over four years, will not have disappointed Munster and Northampton, although the Munster coach reckoned it mightn’t necessarily make their task of qualifying for a 12th successive year from the pool stages any easier.

“We’ve got Treviso at home next week with all to lose really, so it could be a dangerous situation. We need to make sure that we’re well and truly locked down in what we need to do and how we need to go forward against obviously a very determined Treviso side.”

Treviso’s win ought at least remove any danger of complacency next Saturday in Thomond Park. “We’ve got absolutely no reason to be complacent in any shape or form. They always come with a formidable pack who carry well and are set-piece-dominated. They’ll have enough stickiness and enough grunt, as they proved today, they’ll be an excellent test come Saturday.

“To be honest I think we need to take everything forward,” he added. “We need to be a little bit sharper with our attack and at the breakdown – it’s an area that really decides the game, of what sort of ball you’re playing off and where you’re playing the game. So breakdown will be the key for us.”

Neither Leinster nor Munster have any injury concerns arising from the weekend, though both coaches have selection issues. Also next Saturday, Ulster are away to Edinburgh, where they won on their last Heineken Cup visit to the Scottish city in securing qualification for the knock-out stages en route to the title in 1998-99. In terms of qualifying for the first time since then, a win there for Brian McLaughlin’s side could be as imperative as in any of their pool games given Stade Francais’ 31-11 win over the Scots.

Completing an eventful weekend which finally kick-started a slow-burning season, a late try by Jeremy Staunton, along with a conversion from debutant man-of-the-match Billy Twelvetrees, earned an injury-ravaged Leicester a bonus point and a 32-all draw with the Ospreys at Welford Road yesterday.

Toulouse rounded things off by earning a bonus point win at home to an under-strength Sale.