Northern Hemisphere rugby needed RDS battle

ON RUGBY:The clash between Leinster and Clermont was high on drama, had massive hits and an insane Brian O'Driscoll offload for Jamie Heaslip's first try, writes BOB CASEY

THERE HAD been 52 quarter-finals in the Heineken Cup before the weekend and 39 were won by the home side. Keeping with the average of one away winner per season it rose to 43 from 56. It got me thinking why is it so difficult to win on the road? Sure, it is just another pitch.

ASM Clermont Auvergne have arguably the best squad in Europe yet they have never returned home with a British or Irish scalp. They have played 23 away games in this competition, winning only six.

It could be something to do with the mind-numbing journey their players and coaching staff embarked upon last Thursday morning ahead of Friday’s game at the RDS. They would probably have been up early to meet for a bus to the airport. They check in but have to lounge around the waiting area.

About three hours have been clocked up already and there is only so much entertainment to be gained off an iPod, laptop, book or newspapers. Your diet goes out the window when hungry in an airport in contrast to the energy-boosting grub at your finger tips at home.

Next, they are herded onto a plane. We rugby players are not constructed for squashing into these little cabins. Limbs creak as they disembark straight on to another bus, which is probably a more confined space again. There is another waiting period here as all the physio equipment is collected (At London Irish we send our gear with Tel the kit man on the ferry the day before).

Bus to hotel, check in again. Anyone who travels regularly will confirm that nothing ever runs smoothly – be it a long queue through customs, a delayed bus or flight.

By the time you are lying on an alien bed (again, we are big men so this doesn’t always work out too well) it could be eight or nine hours on the go from home to hotel.

This is the job.

All day Friday becomes a twilight zone when the away players are left with little option but to think about the game later that night – which is the worst preparation, I have always found. In contrast, Leinster probably didn’t meet up until about two hours before kick-off. You can do your own thing all day. For a night match I tend to have a good lie in and then chill all day, maybe watch a movie. I might grab a coffee with someone who has no interest in rugby. A girlfriend can be really beneficial in this regard.

Northern Hemisphere rugby needed Friday night’s battle – high drama, massive hits, an insane Brian O’Driscoll offload for Jamie Heaslip’s first try and then Clermont’s ferocious response. That said, it is no coincidence they have lost the last three French finals.

I can sympathise with this all-powerful Clermont pack who must have been still scratching their heads on the return flight. They climbed a mountain of hard yards and dominated territory with precious little reward. Coaches come in with preconceived ideas that certain players must be replaced but I would have let Thomas Domingo and Mario Ledesma go to the end.

No disrespect to Leinster’s resilience, as they now exude the mark of true champions – winning no matter what part of their game malfunctions – but Clermont spurned 25 kickable points from Brock James’ three drop-goal misses, two conversions, three penalties and another penalty off target by Morgan Parra. Supposedly, James has an 82 per cent successful kicking return. It just shows how one person in a central position can dictate a result.

I know Michael Cheika spoke about Leinster’s lack of discipline but maybe some of those penalties came off calculated infringements. I would be hitting those later rucks thinking there is no harm in letting James have another long-range penalty as he is probably going to miss.

If James was punishing every indiscretion the Leinster forwards’ natural instincts would be to take their hands off the ball. This is a pack littered with leaders who can think their way through games; that’s why they are European champions.

The tackle area hurt both Irish teams yet again and I can see it in the English club game this past fortnight to such an extent we had to tell our chief scavenger, Steff Armitage, to stop doing what he does best during Saturday’s 23-13 defeat of bottom club Worcester Warriors. On the positive side, it does make for snappy, clean possession, which suits us.

It was a big win for our play-off aspirations but I couldn’t help noticing the funeral atmosphere at Sixways afterwards. I know Worcester head coach Mike Ruddock from our time together at Leinster and I can relate to that horrible feeling from my first season at London Irish when we were embroiled in a relegation battle.

You are playing for your livelihood. I wanted to chat to Mike and a few of their lads I know afterwards but they looked like broken men. You go home and your wife asks, “What are we doing next year?” and you can’t tell her because you don’t know.