The red hot favourites to claim the PRO14
Munster did what they needed to and then some but the two rounds of league play that constituted the restart of the Pro14 ended with the same question that dominated when it kicked off – who can stop Leinster? Well, Munster might feel they have a chance after losing by just two points in their league derby in the first game of the restart and then thumping fellow Irish province, Connacht, on Sunday.
For both Munster coach Johann van Graan and for the tournament organisers, that was the best possible result as it means Munster at least take some momentum into Friday night’s semi-final.
The fact that the game will be played on Friday introduces some interesting questions, for it does mean that Munster have just a five-day turn-around. But while that suggests a disadvantage, and Van Graan has had something to say about it in the Irish media, is it when your team scores seven tries and shows such good attacking shape in what effectively became the final dress rehearsal?
There’s not much time for Munster to work on the tweaks that Van Graan might regard as necessary for the semi-final, but at least his team is carrying the momentum that was picked up in a somewhat bizarre final game of their league campaign.
Those who watched Sunday’s game, which was turned into a decider for a place in the play-offs by the Scarlets’ excellent bonus point win over the Dragons the day before, will know there is a caveat. Munster were impressive, but Connacht played much of the game with 13 men after two players were sent off in the first half.
What needs to be pointed out though is that Munster were already ahead 14-0 when Abraham Papali’i was shown the red card for a head high tackle. Eight minutes later Shane Delahunt followed him to the sidelines for contacting CJ Stander’s neck with his elbow, effectively ending any chance of the match being a contest.
Munster did their best to redress the balance between the teams before halftime, with two players shown yellow cards. When the sides went to the break it was like a rugby league fixture – 13 against 13. But Munster were already ahead 21-7 and once the two yellow carded players came back onto the field it was no race.
But back to Leinster, for with the record they boast the talk should really be all about them. Their comprehensive 28-10 win over Ulster ensured they ended the league phase of the PRO14 season unbeaten. Not only that, they won every game too, most of them by comprehensive margins, and have now extended their winning sequence in all competitions to 23.
An illustration of their superiority in the competition comes by way of the fact that they finished with 69 log points, with the next best teams across the two conferences, Edinburgh and Munster, both ending 18 points adrift on 51. Their pole position means that Leinster will host the 12 September final should they win their semi-final.
It is likely to happen too, for with a record like that can we expect them to be beaten? Possibly not, for the last two games have shown that the hiatus brought on by the coronavirus hasn’t taken away that indefinable something that makes them a champion team. Perhaps clinical is the best word to describe it, although there are other ingredients, such as composure and confidence, but somehow Leinster just always seem to manage to get what they need in the big moments of a game.
That was what got them home against Munster nine days ago. Munster had enough ball to win that match, but the Leinster defence was brilliant until the final quarter, when Munster started to get some profit by quickening up the tempo. Munster played with good tempo against Connacht, with former Southern Kings loose-forward Chris Cloete playing well, so perhaps Van Graan and his assistants feel they have stumbled upon the needed ingredient.
Saturday’s semi-final in Edinburgh will require more guesswork in trying to figure out the likely winner than will be required in Dublin on Friday. For both home team Edinburgh and visitors Ulster go into the play-off game off disappointing performances and defeats.
https://twitter.com/PRO14Official/status/1300117471064731649
For Edinburgh, who had the previous week’s result against derby rivals Glasgow Warriors reversed on them, it might be less of a concern, as they were good in the game where they needed to be good, which was the previous week.
Ulster by contrast haven’t won since rugby’s return to play in the United Kingdom, Italy and Ireland, with the defeat to Leinster following on from the loss to Connacht the week before.
So @leinsterrugby prove unbeatable in the #GuinnessPRO14 this season with a flourish of late scores to beat @UlsterRugby 👊
Match report ➡️ https://t.co/q0qkUjh4uw
Catch all the Round 15 highlights at https://t.co/2lIuc64fpF pic.twitter.com/5xsj3evwUz
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) August 29, 2020
Although the second Scottish derby in the space of six days wasn’t up to the level of the first one, the second weekend since the return of PRO14 again produced some high quality rugby. Leinster were highly efficient in their win the following night, and Munster did what they had to do, but perhaps the performance of the weekend was delivered by Scarlets, who did what they needed to by winning with a bonus point against the Dragons.
They won’t be part of the play-offs but the start of the 2020/2021 Pro14 is near enough for Scarlets to feel that these games have been good confidence boosters for them.
Semi-final line-up
Leinster v Munster, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Friday 20.35
Edinburgh v Ulster, BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Saturday 20.35
Weekend Results
Edinburgh 3 Glasgow Warriors 15
Ulster 10 Leinster 28
Dragons 20 Scarlets 41
Munster 49 Connacht 12
Cardiff Blues 29 Ospreys 20
Zebre 9 Benetton 16
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments