Racing 92 will have to find another gear to compete with Leinster - Neil Best
A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence
It’s a great shame for Irish rugby that this season’s European Rugby Champions Cup Final won’t be a Leinster v Munster one. It would have been special and spectacular. This year’s final is the first hosted outside the geography of the old five nations, and despite the prominence of Irish rugby, it will be the first time we’ve had an Irish finalist in six years. And 2012 was the only all Irish final in the history of the competition -when an unforgiving Leinster ruthlessly destroyed Ulster optimism.
Since 2012 rugby’s premier European Final has been all about the English and the French. I genuinely feel for Munster fans -their team having fallen just short of the final half a dozen times since their last final appearance back in 2008 -they know how special and infrequent these opportunities can be. And for me Munster were the only club in Europe that might have been capable of derailing Leinster. As it stands, I can see no other outcome than Leinster pulling alongside Toulouse as four-time European winners.
The statistics told the tale of the weekend semi-finals. Leinster haven’t lost to the Scarlets this season beating them at home and drawing away. Welsh rugby hasn’t had a finalist since the first Heineken Cup Final way back in 1996. With Leinster at home and close to full strength, there was only going to be one winner. Leinster once again showing themselves to be unforgiving and ruthless.
In France, Racing 92 started strong and Munster left far too much to make up in the second half. But the statistics were with Racing too. There has been a French finalist every year since the all Irish affair of 2012. Racing 92 themselves lost out to Saracens in the 2016 final, and Munster having to travel to France made the task just that little bit tougher.
Racing 92 impressive as they were, will have to find at least another gear to compete with Leinster -and Leinster at times feel capable of finding gears other club sides haven’t even contemplated. For me the evidence of the weekend strongly points to Leinster returning to the European club rugby throne -and they could be there for a few seasons to come.
Elsewhere in Irish rugby Ulster’s stunning second-half PRO14 demolition of Glasgow can’t pass without mention. It keeps them in the mix for Champion’s Cup rugby next season and was a fine home send off for the retiring or departing Tommy Bowe, Charles Piutau and Paul Marshall -who’s performance in the second half should have Ulster pleading with him to stay on board for one more season.
The weekend also produced a solid rumour that either Leinster’s Joey Carberry or Ross Byrne will be forced by the IRFU to leave for Ulster, to fill the void left by Paddy Jackson. My advice to the IRFU -Ulster fans don’t want reluctant players at their club next season -they’d much sooner give their own youth products a chance -now go and ask Leinster fans what they think.
There is nothing which we receive with so much reluctance as advice.
Comments on RugbyPass
I guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
43 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
3 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
43 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
43 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
3 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
6 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
6 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to comments