There was serious moaning after Leinster's win last week, but there was still plenty to cheer, writes Liam Toland

AS I settle into my new life down the country, I'm reminded of Richard Branson's words, "the brave may not live forever - but the cautious do not live at all". Coming from a peace-time army, caution can be rewarded above what Branson would term bravery. But for those of us now exposed to the horrors of capitalism imploding on capitalism, bravery may be the only way out.

With this in mind I received some very interesting feedback on last week's article but in emphasising my point I neglected to mention one world-class achiever who has displayed bravery - Eldrick Tiger Woods. As Butch Harmon puts it "one thing that makes Tiger is that he's more willing to bring a shot from the practice tee on to the course than any golfer I know".

By the age of 21 Tiger was number one in the world and had won the US Masters by a record 12 strokes. Then he hit a slump. This, he said, was a necessary evil to help rebuild his already world-class swing! On his way to breaking nearly every record in the game he suffered a second slump while again rebuilding his swing to accommodate his back problems.

To demonstrate the relevance, I'll pick the most important rugby player in Ireland to illustrate this point. Ronan O'Gara's brilliance has been the reason for so much success to have visited our shores over the previous 10 years. With three Triple Crowns and two Heineken Cups, 87 caps and two Lions tours he has had an extraordinary career.

Over the years he has excelled at the things he has already been good at, his core skills, raw material, natural talent. But the areas in which he has been poor have only seen marginal improvement. Behind a winning pack, in the rain and with untold pressure on him he has time and again risen to save the day.

But unlike Tiger Woods he has not sacrificed the short term for 'total' domination and in many ways has been content with being the second best in the world to Dan Carter. O'Gara is a brilliant game manager, but could become a brilliant game breaker.

From last weekend I seriously like the look of Seán O'Brien who's a mongrel drawn from Victor Costello, Keith Gleeson and Brian ODriscoll. He is exactly what all our Irish players should be emulating. Time and again he took on Castres on his own terms.

What impresses me most, outside his obvious power and ball-carrying are his decisions on the ball; to pass or not to pass in traffic. I haven't seen a ball failing to reach his target. I know he's young but it'll be a dogfight for caps with David Pollock, Niall Ronan and Shane Jennings, not to mention David Wallace.

Maybe it's crazy but a subtle change into the front row might be rewarded with 50 caps. He certainly has no obvious weakness apart from genuine competition. Either way Shane Jennings is in for some ride this season and could easily find himself hind tit.

Leinster are really beginning to stir. Their attack was a little moribund but their defence has been very tight. In a competition where only one of the remaining 11 teams - the Ospreys - have a meaner points concession, that speaks volumes. Securing two bonus points thus far puts them way ahead.

There was some serious moaning after the match from management and press alike but there was plenty to cheer.

At 6 to 1 outright for the Heineken Cup (third behind Toulouse and Munster) it's time to invest in Leinster. Any issues from last weekend are simply ones of timing. When exactly to hit the line and when to pass. One week's training will iron them out.

I know Wasps are waiting but Leinster have got the real ingredient, competition for places especially with Isa Nacewa and Felipe Contepomi returning. The vital Leo Cullen won't be too happy with Devon Toner's maturity.

His body has finally caught up with his rugby ability and to see him take over the Malcom O'Kelly role with O'Kelly still on the pitch augurs well.

Apart from improvement in timing I would like to see more urgency at number nine tonight where a 'blue' Peter Stringer style is required above all else.

Tonight is going to be a bruiser where even Sky will be lacking sufficient cameras. We'll need the famous BBC turtle and dung camera that David Attenborough's utilises so well on his travels through Africa in order to sneak into the tightest of scrums. If Leinster grasp their opportunity then it appears the Irish connection in Castres (Jeremy Davidson and Mark McCall) will be in serious doubt as the club president is planning for 2009 with talk of new coaches.

Ulster recorded a well deserved win last week and in the process proved the ELVs are not crippling the game. Two tries, particularly David Pollock's, came from the old-fashioned turnover steal at the ruck. Comhghairdeas linn, it was great to see that an old reliable was the major telling point between the sides.

Homework for next week; check out the ELV survey on the IRFU website, it takes about five minutes. It'll get your juices flowing in an organised way. Fortunately, there are many views abounding and I have some too which I'll vent with both barrels next week.

But I've two major gripes; Pre-gripping the jumper before the ball's thrown in and pulling down the maul. Call me a bold-faced traditionalist if you will, but I want the game to remain for all creatures great and small.

"From last weekend I seriously like the look of Seán O'Brien who's a mongrel drawn from Victor Costello, Keith Gleeson and Brian ODriscoll. He is exactly what all our Irish players should be emulating