PREMEDITATED OR not, Clermont Auvergne decided the best way to win in Thomond Park last season was to decapitate the Munster leader’s head.
In French rugby they call enforcers Le Guerrier – The Warrior. They worshipped Trevor Brennan in Toulouse. In Clermont they have the feisty Canadian Jamie Cudmore.
Eighteen minutes gone and all hell breaks loose. Marcus Horan comes through a lineout and collars scrumhalf Pierre Mignoni, flinging him to ground after Chris Whites whistle had sounded. Two Clermont forwards drop knee and shoulder on the Irish prop. Jerry Flannery piles in as Cudmore and O’Connell arch down to investigate. They meet in a dark cave of bodies. O’Connell’s head jolts upwards from a blow but, without flinching, the Munster captain looks to the touch judge, still gripped by Cudmore, for a witness.
Ice hockey style, the Canadian belts him again. O’Connell lands one back before dipping his shoulder as two goliaths crash to earth with hay makers flying. Donncha O’Callaghan gets involved with Cudmore when hauling him off his secondrow partner (This is why Youtube is such a great invention 137,811 viewers agree).
What was probably a split second decision by Cudmore backfires as he is red carded to O’Connell’s sin-binning with Munster running out 23-13 victors, but it could so easily have been a different scenario.
After four meetings with Munster in the past two years, it is clear that Vern Cotter always sends out packs intent on dominating the opposition. Munster bonus points in Clermont were rightly celebrated like victories.
Gone are the days when the Leinster eight will take a backward step so fireworks are promised around the collision zones come Friday night.
Scotland’s rib tickling flanker Jason White is injured but the power will come from men like Cudmore, although he was not selected in the 22 for last week’s 19-10 defeat away to Stade Francais. Puma hooker Mario Ledesma is joined by Georgian prop David Zirakashvili and new French international Thomas Domingo, while lock Julien Pierre also featured in the Six Nations. Then there are the brilliant alternating number eights in Julien Bonnaire and Elvis Vermeulen.
Their star studded backline is another article again.
Shane Jennings agrees: “From watching them, they are an extremely powerful team. Their pack is based on physically imposing themselves and they seem to have the personnel that they can do that. They have a good set piece. Their scrum is pretty intimidating and daunting if we don’t get our stuff right. And then obviously they’ve got such threats out the back. French internationals. Good South Sea Islanders. Good team. Good squad. Were in for a massive battle up front.”
English referee Dave Pearson is expected to go letter-of-the-law in the tackle area. Interesting to see what an openside wing forward of Jennings ilk thinks of the new interpretation.
Michael Cheika welcomes the change, stating it benefits Leinster and that it doesn’t really matter as they will have to “muscle up” either way when the big strike-runners come thundering through. Think Napolioni Nalanga, Julien Malzieu, Aurelien Rougerie and Seremaia Bai.
“You’ve got to put a shoulder on someone’s chest and say, ‘Here it is. I’m ready to defend’,” said Cheika.
Basically, there will not be much time to release the ball carrier and then steal possession against the Clermont power game.
“I think it is difficult,” Jennings admits. “Different refs have different interpretations and you’ve got to understand that. But once they communicate to you there is no issue. They will say to you before the game what they are looking for.
“I still think if you are there quick enough or early enough and on your feet you can still do a bit of damage. They still want that to be in the game. It is just stupid hands here and there.
“One of the boys came up with a good point – it is not just about getting your hands away because if you take your hands away you are going to fall over. They want to see you keeping your weight on your feet so you are not falling off your feet.”
Anyway, Jennings will probably be doing more shoulder to chest action than ball pilfering.
