Success requires brains as well as brawn

RUGBY ANALYST:With the Six Nations all but upon us, Irish brains will be very valuable, writes LIAM TOLAND

ASM CLERMONT Auvergne! Man alive! What a difference an 11-all draw in Twickenham makes. While watching the semi-final draw unfold I couldn’t help but ask myself, what is worse than playing Clermont at home? Playing them away I suppose.

What a difference a Guinness Premiership outhalf makes to the final eight placings. Shane Geraghty and Chris Malone can be thanked for the final top eight standings; Malone for affording Michael Cheika and his Leinster team a home quarter-final and keeping him out of France for a little while. However, in saving Leinster, Malone scuttled his own team, London Irish.

In Twickenham and Thomond Park lots of brains and experience with plenty of brawn won the day. With the Six Nations all but upon us, Irish brains will be very valuable.

As games go last weekend’s were very much like FA Cup semi-finals in the past. Always promising so much but with both sides scared of missing out on the big price of a Wembley final, they were afraid to play.

Neither Paul Warwick nor Ben Foden hinted at a counter-attack. I assume this will not be the case in April. With the pressure very much on Leinster and Munster to secure points, rugby was at a premium. Last Friday night in Limerick was extraordinary. Northampton Saints may have signed their own death warrant. They had their chance but simply could not kill off Munster. But they will learn.

Time and again we’ve witnessed the great sides create advantages and punish their opposition accordingly. But alas Northampton simply couldn’t. Paul O’Connell went into the sin bin and Munster’s creaking scrum was set upon by Soane Tonga’uiha, Dylan Hartley and Euan Murray. To add to their woes, this time Munster had to commit Doug Howlett to the side of the scrum behind John Hayes.

The crowd sensed trouble and reacted accordingly. The siege of Limerick was upon us and Cromwell was going to have to get through 26,014 lunatics to cross that line. Northampton Saints had certainly earned the right to push Munster over the line for a certain five-pointer.

But then if there was a brain in that Northampton team they would have spotted the following. Munster’s superman O’Connell had just gone off (59 mins) to join his injured Boy Robin, Donncha O’Callaghan (55 mins). This season the Munster scrum has been fiercely weakened in their absence. All week the Munster players, backs and forwards would have been all too acutely aware of the Northampton threats. Their scrum would have been number one. What do you think was going through the Munster makeshift eight so close to their own line?

Absolute and total concentration for that famous five-metre defensive scrum was required, no surrender. Enter the 26,000 Munster supporters to lend their hand. In a sense Northampton had laid the foundation for the simplest of scores through their scrum platform in the previous 60 minutes.

While Munster dug their heels in expecting the worst, all the Saints required was a solid scrum, channel one ball and a sharp attack into the backline space created by Howlett’s absence. But instead they couldn’t help themselves and had to take on 26,000 and eight opponents. Munster stole against the head and the siege was lifted. Twenty five minutes into the second half and 33 per cent of it was spent in the Munster 22 with just one per cent in the Saints’. The Saints failed through silly inexperienced play and poor leadership. Maith an buachaill Wian du Preez not to mention Damien Varley, John Hayes, Donnacha Ryan, and Alan Quinlan in the row and of course Doug Howlett.

As predicted Shane Geraghty lacks the pace of mind to compete at the higher levels, although he remains a fine athlete.

The following day in Twickenham brains were also in short supply for London Irish. You can talk and write and boast about your lineout, scrum, defence and attack, but if your generals haven’t a brain in their head you’re stumped.

At halfback, Irish had two real offenders in Chris Malone and Paul Hodgson. To see Malone miss his easy conversion followed by spurning a golden opportunity to drop a goal by electing to pass to quadruple-marked Samoan winger Sailosi Tagicakibau was painful. His desperate panicking towards the bitter end highlights the gulf between the current Irish and English generals. Back in 2003 England won a World Cup because they had total confidence in their ability to produce the scores when required. Ireland’s provinces have gained this confidence.

Ulster for their part have turned a major corner. I think back to their opening game back in September 2009 in the Magners. They lost badly to an ordinary Newport Gwent Dragons to bounce back with a win in England and Andrew Trimble’s classic try.

Across the Shannon, Connacht have more than just a chance of progression in the AMLIN Challenge Cup. The bookies I’m afraid don’t agree as they have placed Connacht eighth and last in line for the trophy at 16 to 1. Perpignan, who failed to make the Heineken Cup play-off, are facing Connacht’s quarter-final opposition Bourgoin this weekend. Perpignan stand at 1 to 33 to win the match and is well worth a watch. Connacht should beat Bourgoin and then it’s open season. If you’re in the mood Cardiff Blues lie in third place at 5 to 1 and deserve a little look.

This time last season I suggested that Munster were the major obstacle to Leinster’s European title ambitions. Once avoided or negotiated Leinster could tackle any team. Having seen ASM Clermont Auvergne in the flesh over the past few seasons they now represent a similar challenge for Leinster, home or away. It’ll be a very interesting April . . . if we survive the Six Nations!