Leinster may have to settle for bonus point

RUGBY:IT SEEMS that playing for Ireland in November can have a detrimental impact on your day job come December. Cian Healy, Eoin Reddan and, less surprisingly, Devon Toner all failed to make the Leinster starting XV for this daunting journey to Clermont as coach Joe Schmidt felt the weather and lack of pitch time denied him enough time to reintegrate the international trio.

Considering recent form in a green jersey, Healy still seems a strange exclusion although South African Henke van der Merwe was signed with the primary intention of solidifying the Leinster scrum on the loosehead side as the 23-year-old continues his education.

Reddan’s promotion to the Irish squad ahead of Isaac Boss appears to have cost him his provincial place, while Nathan Hines’ physicality, coupled with Leo Cullen’s leadership, confines the recently capped Toner to the bench.

Schmidt admitted to being “very frustrated” by the lack of indoor facilities to prepare for this potentially season-defining encounter against his old club.

“I wouldn’t say detrimental,” said Schmidt. “It has just been awkward because we haven’t trained for the last two weeks. We haven’t had a field. We went out to Skerries on Wednesday. It was our first time on a field for two weeks so we haven’t been able to reintegrate guys; our fluency has been disrupted.

“We do feel that we are a little compromised as a result of that. Cian played in all four of the Test matches, you couldn’t play him last week as a result of that against the Scarlets so it was hard to slot him in.

“Jamie (Heaslip) at number eight, he was captain and had lots of (game) time before he went. We just feel to get him straight back in there is not too difficult to do. He has no injuries either, whereas Cian had a cold thigh and as a result of that he probably wasn’t 100 per cent when he first came back. He was a little bit limited in what he could do.”

Healy will definitely feature after half-time tomorrow and it will be no harm that this decision, presumably influenced by Jonno Gibbs, will have him simmering.

Schmidt stated the beast of a ball carrier that is former All Black Sione Lauaki was a factor in the Boss selection (they are former Chiefs team-mates in New Zealand).

It seems essential to salvaging at least a bonus point that the Leinster reserves, callow as many of them are, are used to counteract what seems a guaranteed arrival of five, and possibly all eight, internationals from the Clermont dugout as they up the ante in the last quarter.

The French champions’ bench alone is hugely intimidating. Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma should be joined, around the hour mark, by Lionel Faure and Georgian wrecking ball Davit Zirakashvili as they attempt to dismantle the visiting scrum. All three started last weekend’s defeat to Toulouse only to make way for Thomas Domingo, Ti’i Paulo (Samoa) and Martin Scelzo (Argentina). We are about to find out just how good Mike Ross and van der Merwe are in the scrummaging department.

Schmidt was audibly surprised by the selection of Loic Jacquet in the secondrow ahead of Julien Pierre, believing it to be a clear intention that Vern Cotter noted the Irish weakness at restarts last month. And they are also coming after Leo Cullen’s lineout.

“It may hint how they intend to play. I think one of the things all teams are starting to realise is how important kick-off receipt and sends are. I think Loic is certainly there for that reason. They will be looking to use him, Julien Bonnaire, Thibaut Privat and Alexandre Lapandry; they have really good lineout options there.

“They want to make sure their set piece is very good so they can produce the volume of play that will put us under pressure if they can get their first phase right.”

If ever there was a week to have Schmidt analysing opposition this has been it. His coaching partnership with Cotter dates back to the successful Bay of Plenty days so the whole “chess” match and tactical familiarity will probably cancel itself out.

That means matters would come down to whichever team dominates the collisions. This marks the first prime-time examination of Eoin O’Malley but Brian O’Driscoll’s understudy seems to possess all the attributes to eventually become the resident Leinster number 13. Still, Aurelien Rourgerie and friends will come bearing straight down on him tomorrow.

“If a guy like Rougerie can break a tackle he can get his hands free so others can run off him,” warned Schmidt. “They do have a strong off-loading game, particularly with some of their new blokes (Lauaki and Paulo). I think we will live and die by our first line of defence on Sunday.”

If Leinster can keep the miss tackle count to single figures, a valuable bonus point is there for them.

CLERMONT AUVERGNE: A Floch; N Nalanga, A Rougerie, G Williams/G Canale, J Malzieu; B James, M Parra; T Domingo, T Paulo, M Scelzo; L Jacquet, T Privat; J Bonnaire, A Lapandry, S Lauaki. Replacements: M Ledesma, L Faure, D Zirakashvili, J Pierre, E Vermulen, K Seino, T Lavea, B Baby.

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; S Horgan, E O’Malley, G D’Arcy, F McFadden; J Sexton, I Boss; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen (capt), N Hines; S O’Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: J Harris-Wright, C Healy, C Newland, D Toner, D Ryan, E Ryan, S Berne, D Kearney.

Referee: W Barnes (England).

Previous encounters: 2002/03 Pool stages – Clermont 20-23 Leinster; Leinster 12-9 Clermont. 2010 quarter-final – Leinster 29-28 Clermont.

European formguide: Clermont 25-10 Saracens; Racing Métro 16-9 Clermont. Leinster 38-22 Racing Métro; Saracens 23-25 Leinster.

Betting (Paddy Power): Clermont 1/6, Leinster 7/2 (to win); Handicap: Leinster 10/11 (+ 9) to win.

Verdict: Clermont to win.

Leinster’s game against Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Marcel Michelin (3.0, Irish time) will be broadcast on the red button on Sky Sports. The satellite broadcaster is showing London Irish’s game against Toulon in that time slot on Sky Sports 2 so only those with Sky boxes will be able to view the Leinster match live.