'Superb preparation for a final'

RUGBY:WAS THERE a punch thrown? Will Brian O'Driscoll be in trouble? Leinster coach Joe Schmidt didn't see it, didn't know about it. There was a punch, Schmidt was assured. In the first half. Seen on television.

“To be honest I didn’t see it,” said the coach looking genuinely surprised. “Who was it?” he asked.

“Chris Henry,” said a voice from the back of the press room in the RDS before another voice added that the referee, George Clancy, had spoken to the Ireland captain, and a third voice then added: “It’s okay, he (O’Driscoll) missed.”

“Ah,” said Schmidt a little happier. “He (Henry) looked all right. If it was seen by the referee and he deemed it was worth a talking to . . . to be honest I didn’t see it so I can’t comment.”

And there the sticky subject was left with little real concern. O’Driscoll’s disciplinary record is impeccable and Schmidt for one was more interested in talking about the prospect of two finals over the next few weeks.

That Ulster provided a gritty, physical and determined adversary was important to Leinster’s ambitions for European domination.

“Hopefully we can go one bridge further,” said Schmidt. “The actual game was superb preparation for a final, superb preparation,” he added. “It’s invaluable. I think there are a lot of things we can take out of it. I think there’s a lot of things we did really well and there are some things I think we were impatient about. Once we can iron out those things, get over the bumps and bruises . . . then”

Emptying the bench was a measured calculation. The possibility of disruption was offset by Schmidt’s requirement to get players involved in the match given next week’s demands against Northampton in the Heineken Cup final in Cardiff.

In the Magners League, he would not say, but reading between the lines Schmidt would fancy the Ospreys.

“It was one of the reasons we wanted to get everyone out there,” he explained. “It was a tough match and I know a few of the Ulster boys are sore as well.

“Going into next week we are not going to change what we have been doing. The next game is the Heineken Cup final. That is the only game for us.

“We might take an interest in tomorrow’s match (Munster versus Ospreys). If we get Ospreys, we play them at home. Playing at home really does lift the players. You could see it out there tonight when the crowd got to their feet. We’d love to be at home but if we are away what a better way of finishing off the season, having a shot at Munster in their home ground.”

Seán O’Brien was bloody, battered and bruised. The reason he was replaced was because of blood. He will be okay for next week. Short and sure, O’Brien stated the Leinster position without complication.

“We’ve won nothing. We’ve won nothing yet,” said O’Brien.

The flanker and man of the match is never one for over-stating the case. But that has been Leinster’s mantra for some weeks now since the equally rational and grounded Leo Cullen warned about trophy-counting prematurely.

“It was a tough game alright but we stuck to our guns. We knew what to expect. We stuck to our game plan and we knew what to expect and it worked well for us.

“At half-time we knew we had to get out of the blocks well again. There was some chopping and changing in the second half and it did take a couple of minutes to settle back in but they (replacements) all knew their roles when they came on and stuck to the game plan. Luke’s (Fitzgerald) try came at a great time. He showed good feet.”

The finals words came from Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin. The former Royal Belfast Academical Institution teacher was as ever gracious. He sees the Heineken Cup falling Leinster’s way. “I think Northampton are an exceptional physical side,” he said. “But they are very predictable. What they do, they do fiercely well. But if everyone is fit for Leinster, they are the best side in Europe and they should be able to cope with that,”

High praise indeed from the losing team last night.