JOHNNY WATTERSONhears from Fergus McFadden, who was frustrated by the team conceding 20 points late on, and Bath skills coach Brad Davis
FERGUS McFADDEN wasn’t hanging like a player that had just helped give Bath their biggest thumping for some years.
In these days of slim margins and fine measures, the last 20 minutes of the match was on his mind. Even with 50-odd points scored the lapse was causing some anxiety.
“The good teams, the very good teams, the top teams and the teams that really want to contend for this competition really don’t do that. If we get to that stage in the game we have to be more ruthless,” said the centre, who with Eoin O’Malley replaced the irreplaceable Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy. It was pointed out that it was the first time in the Heineken Cup for 13 years.
“No, I didn’t know that,” added McFadden. “But it was a great win anyway, still got the bonus point. We were a small bit frustrated in the last 20 the way we slided off a couple of tackles.
“Obviously it was great to put 50 points on Bath, but letting them back into the game at that stage was the disappointing thing in our heads.”
That seemed a little too self-critical.
A young Leinster player beating himself up a week out from Christmas with his team six points clear at the top of the pool. Someone threw him a bone, suggested the players might be too hard on themselves.
“We are and we aren’t, I think it’s just pointing out the facts,” he says. “Joe (Schmidt) said it afterwards, but that’s the way it is sometimes. I think we will definitely get confidence from this.
“Last week we were guilty of not putting away chances, this week we converted them into points or tries and we just knew we had to be a bit more clinical than we were. We will definitely gain confidence from large parts of our performance tonight.”
The independent assessment from Bath skills coach Brad Davis was more effusive. The former rugby league player came out of the dressingroom with his hands up and no where to hide.
“The score-line reflects the game. Leinster were outstanding. They taught us a lesson in how to finish opportunities,” said Davis, who wasn’t reading too much into their own 20-point haul.
“You can look too much at our three tries because Leinster took their foot off the pedal,” he added. “They were completely on their game today. We can have a look at their game and try to go in that direction.
“We’ve undoubtedly come to one of the best teams in Europe and we’ve taken a hiding. I think they are the best team our guys have come across in a couple of years.”
Joe Schmidt agreed that some of Leinster’s play was “fantastic” but tempered his praise. Bath were missing Dan Hipkiss and two other front-line players. Next up Glasgow in January.
“We’ve got to go to Firhill,” said Schmidt. “I haven’t experienced the joys of victory there yet. I made my first-class debut playing against Seán Lineen (Glasgow coach). He beat me that day. He’s beaten me up there before so I’d love to get a win in Firhill with the lads and that would really open up the opportunity to come back here and make sure we do our best to get that home quarter-final.”
