ON RUGBY:TWO WEEKS ago we referred to the French phase " courir apres deux lièvres"and the events of the past fortnight have merely underlined how increasingly difficult it is to run after two hares.
Indeed, on mature reflection, the double “double” achieved by the Leicester Tigers, ie winning and retaining both the Heineken Cup and the English Premiership (when they were actually completing four successive domestic league titles), looks more and more freakish.
Toulouse are the only other club to achieve the double, and that was back in 1996 when they won the second of four successive French Championships, while also winning the inaugural Heineken Cup, but the latter contained only 16 teams and was without the English and Scottish.
To complete the latter half of the equation, Guy Noves’ men merely had to win four matches, and that included overcoming the combined might of Farul Constantina and Benetton Treviso in their group, before beating Swansea at home in the semi-finals and then Cardiff after extra-time in the final at the old Cardiff Arms Park.
With each passing year winning a domestic league and European Cup double becomes more and more difficult, never more so than henceforth given the advent of play-offs in the Magners League and – much to the annoyance of Monsieur Noves – the expansion of play-offs from four to six clubs in France’s Top 14.
As it is, only three clubs in Europe can complete the double, namely the Irish duo of Leinster and Munster, along with Toulouse. Now, in addition to negotiating 18 Magners League matches, six European group games and three knock-out matches in the Heineken Cup, either Munster or Leinster will also have to win two knock-out matches in the League.
That’s 29 matches in total, and with just one round of regular fixtures to be completed in the League the weekend after next (which the Celtic Board/TV rights’ holders have, amazingly, still not finalised) effectively they will have to win five matches in succession, four of them knock-out semi-finals or finals.
For Toulouse to extend their respective records to 18 French titles and a fourth European one in the same campaign would therefore require them to negotiate 26 league matches along with six European pool games, and now the tricky part, two more Heineken Cup knock-out matches to go with the one they’ve already played as well as winning three knock-out matches to lay their hands on another cherished Bouclier de Brennus.
According to Noves, it is simply “impossible” to play five high level, or knock-out matches, in a row, which is what’s now required of them after Saturday’s 25-17 win at home to Castres assured them of a home “quarter-final” against the same opponents two weeks’ hence.
Accordingly, Noves rested Vincent Clerc and played their recent acquisition from financially troubled Montauban, veteran Fijian winger Vilimoni Delasau, who is ineligible for the Heineken Cup, along with the likes of Maxime Medard and Shaun Sowerby.
That said, it was still a strong enough selection, and Toulouse probably felt compelled to play Jean Baptiste Ellissalde at outhalf for only his second game since early February, having played at scrumhalf the week before. Compared to the pedestrian David Skrela, Elissalde attacks the gain line and brings others into the game.
However, he didn’t take any of the penalties to touch, and having landed one drop goal, missed three more by half-time as Toulouse seemingly sought to do the bare minimum to win only to see a 6-0 lead become a 12-6 deficit by half-time.
They cranked it up after the break, Elissalde converting the second of tries by Delasau and Cedric Heymans before hobbling off. Noves, typically, emptied the bench to good effect, the brilliant Yannick Jauzion remained their go-to man throughout for his strong running and offloading.
Needing to win by more than seven points to earn home advantage against Castres in the quarter-final they were indebted to Romain Teuley (the leading points scorer in France) missing an easy conversion and then a 75th minute, converted pushover try against a seven-man pack to win by 25-17. Ever the minimalists, they had just done enough.
It also looked very hot, in the mid to late 20s, for the 4.30 kick-off, and next Saturday’s semi-final is at 4.45 local time. Heat is going to be a big factor next weekend.
No less than Munster, Toulouse are the old dogs for the hard road who know how to pick and choose their matches, though it’s worth pointing out that in direct contrast to this season, Munster won all five league matches prior to returning to European rugby last season.
In any event, the odds have also receded sharply on Munster completing the double. For now they will not only need to beat Biarritz away in San Sebastian, but then also win (or at least achieve a bonus point) from their trek to Cardiff, win a league semi-final (most probably away), a Heineken Cup final in Paris against Toulouse or Leinster and finally a league final (again most probably away).
Given the choice, one wonders where the old warriors’ will be focusing? Hmmm.
Going into next weekend’s potentially momentous semi-finals, Leinster are arguably best placed, though solely in terms of being able to rest their frontliners from 10 or 15 days out. And they still have a battery of walking wounded, with a major doubt over Jonathan Sexton.
Thus, depending in part on when the Celtic League board eventually reveal the dates of the final round of matches – which come a week before the semi-finals – it may be a case of prioritising. Historically and traditionally, the management, players and fans alike of Munster and Leinster will assuredly favour the Heineken Cup.
The problem for them is they are now both away to two French sides who, by dint of preference or having no choice about it, are also prioritising Europe and a final in Paris.
What odds, therefore, Leinster or Munster winning four successive knock-out matches, or five in the case of Toulouse? Those hares are becoming more and more elusive.
- gthornley@irishtimes.com
