Leinster scale the learning curve

The auld interpros have come a long way baby, and it hardly needed another Donnybrook Experience to underline that. Nevertheless, the largest interprovincial crowd of recent seasons at the venue, roughly 5,500, for what was to all intents and purposes a strictly academic match, hammered home the point. The allure of the game was also justified by the cracking contest. That the interpros have never had it so good is borne out by the record attendances which this season's six-series championship have attracted: an estimated 60,000 have attended the 12 games. This is unprecedented, and three years ago would have seemed unbelievable.

Added to the estimated 120,000 that have attended the six European Cup games at Donnybrook, Thomond Park and Ravenhill, it's clear that the provinces have "arrived". Inevitably, this has been at the expense of the clubs, who have now been informed that their international players will be unavailable for two rounds of the AIL in December, and another three during the Six Nations.

The advent of Friday night rugby under lights is clearly a prime factor in increased support, as it allows a broader fan base, mixing families and commuters coming from work. Ironically, last Friday's late, 7.30 kick-off, at the behest of television, may have worked to Leinster's advantage, as it allowed more children/families to attend. Credit also has to go to the intensive marketing of the Ulster and Leinster branches. Munster purists can scoff at Donnybrook's musical interludes and dancing girls, or at similar efforts and fireworks of Ravenhill, but then they don't have to market Munster. The fans just flow to Thomond Park anyway.

The thing is, the provinces are now starting to feed off each other. Munster and Ulster are far bigger draws to the Leinster audience, and vice versa, than anything a Celtic League might throw up. Given the real possibility that the mooted Celtic League could see a return to crowds of under 2,000 at the venues, this is an appropriate time to ask again whether the IRFU should allow the interprovincials to be consumed by the new competition.

Most worryingly, the proposed seasonal structure incorporating the Celtic League does away with half of the interprovincials, reducing it to the old format of three matches. Aside from making it both more of a sprint and a less level playing field (as entailed in the home and away imbalance of a three-match round robin format), it would also have meant that Friday's excellent re-match simply won't have happened. Will this encourage a similar standard of rugby? Will it be as useful for the players or the Irish management? Unlikely.

Despite their defeat to Connacht in round five, Leinster made significant psychological yardage in the second half of the interprovincials, culminating in last Friday's titanic draw.

Granted, Leinster were nearer full-strength and Munster remain the benchmark. Indeed, it's doubtful if Munster would have failed to press home the advantage Leinster had earned at 13-3 early in the second-half or 16-10 entering the last quarter. Whatever about the first instance, Munster would assuredly have defended a six and three-point lead further away from their own sticks than Leinster did.

It's this leadership and decision-making on the pitch that still separates Munster from Leinster, and enables them to eke out a draw despite never having led, and having been behind for over an hour of the exchanges. It disappointed some of their support that they opted for an 80th-minute kick at goal rather than go for a match-wining try via a set-piece, as this would have given them a chance to emulate Ulster's record interprovincial run of 14 wins, instead of now having to settle for sharing that landmark.

Some of their players reasoned afterwards that there was still time for them to get back down the pitch and go for the win, even though Leinster's desire ultimately proved the stronger in injury time. Recalling how they were embarrassed by an ultimately futile wait after a defeat to Ulster in Ravenhill three years ago for the trophy, perhaps they were conscious of similar embarrassment had they been presented with the trophy in the wake of a defeat on Friday night.

At least this way they were entitled to rub Leinster's noses in it a tad with their adopted anthem, Stand Up and Fight, which was inspired one night in a Belfast pub by Brian O'Brien. Even so, obtaining a draw in Donnybrook was no mean feat, surpassing Leicester, Stade Francais, Glasgow Caledonians, Connacht, Ulster, Biarritz and Northampton, as Leinster extended their unbeaten home sequence to exactly a year since Munster's last win at the venue.

ON THE pitch, and off the pitch, Leinster's is still the most unfulfilled potential. A decision now has to be made by the Leinster Branch and the IRFU to expand the existing 8,500 capacity at Donnybrook, in preference to switching to Lansdowne Road.

The result of their good form on the pitch should be greater Leinster representation in the Irish team to play Japan than might otherwise have been the case when it is announced today. It looks as if the Brian O'Driscoll-Shane Horgan midfield partnership will be tried out. Likewise, another interesting call will be at blindside flanker in the absence of the injured Simon Easterby, where Eric Miller's good form and regular runs in that slot may earn him the nod over the Ulster openside Andy Ward. And the most praiseworthy recovery of all, that of Brian O'Meara, has elevated him from a place on the Leinster bench to one on the Irish bench.

Geordan Murphy and Tyrone Howe are also likely to be selected for their home debuts after the summer tour of the Americas with that bloodless coup over the USA.

So, presuming Ronan O'Gara wins the tossup between himself and David Humphreys, the team might read: Murphy; Hickie, O'Driscoll, Horgan, Howe; O'Gara, Stringer; Clohessy, Wood (capt), Hayes, Davidson, O'Kelly, Miller, Foley, Dawson.

gthornley@irish-times.ie