Donal Lenihan: Major talking points heading into Croke Park derby day

The feelgood factor evaporated overnight with an abject performance in defeat for the first time ever at the hands of URC minnows Zebre in Parma. Munster were simply woeful.

The post-mortem was long and focused on two areas normally taken as a given, namely attitude and physical application. In monsoon conditions in Musgrave Park last Saturday for the visit of the Ospreys, those key ingredients were a must and Munster delivered.

Not only will those key facets be front and central Saturday evening against a Leinster matchday squad packed to the brim with international quality, the setting in GAA headquarters on Jones Road, where so many players on both sides would have dreamed of performing as kids before rugby became a priority, adds a different dimension.

Couple that with the fact that many on both sides carry vivid memories from their childhood of the last time the two teams met at the iconic venue in the epic 2009 Heineken Cup semi final. Andrew Porter spoke during the week about how it inspired him as a young boy watching from the stands to play for Leinster some day. This is a game like no other and elevates this encounter to a different level.

Battle at No 10

Extracts from the publication of Jonny Sexton’s autobiography, Obsessed, brought back into sharp focus events of that day in Croke Park. A week before that game, Munster had a record eight players named in the British and Irish Lions tour party to tour South Africa, including the captain Paul O'Connell, on the back for hammering a very good Ospreys side in the quarter final of Europe.

With two Heineken Cups in the previous three seasons, the province was on the crest of a wave. By way of contrast, Leinster had four Lions included in the touring party and were still chasing a first ever European success having been humiliated by Munster in Lansdowne Road at the same stage three years earlier.

Munster were overwhelming favourites but Leinster drew a line in the sand, refusing to take a backward step. The iconic image of a young Sexton, who only featured that day due to an injury to Felipe Contepomi, berating a flummoxed-looking Ronan O'Gara was rehashed in the book extract and brought that game back into sharp focus at an interesting juncture.

I’m not sure where the nine-year-old Jack Crowley or 11-year-old Ciarán Frawley were that day but, as two self-proclaimed sports nuts growing up, I’m sure they were watching somewhere. Of the 46 players likely to see action, the greatest focus will be aimed at those two.

If Sexton’s pose was to become the defining image of two players that (just about), learned to function side by side on match day duties for Ireland, the image of Crowley sprinting from the bench to embrace Frawley on the final whistle after converting a magnificent brace of drop goals to defeat South Africa at the death in Durban last July suggests a different dynamic.

That might be set to change as Frawley has finally been handed the keys of No 10 in Leinster by Leo Cullen. Crowley was catapulted into the famous Irish No 10 shirt on Sexton’s retirement and has grown in stature with every outing. His importance to Munster was seen to good effect against Ospreys and he is now one of the three key players in the Munster team alongside Peter O'Mahony and Tadhg Beirne.

Frawley is not quite at that stage yet in blue but a big performance will not only help convince Cullen that the time has come to take ownership of the shirt from Ross Byrne but could lead to Andy Farrell starting him in the pivotal role in one of the big three tests against New Zealand, Argentina or Australia next month.

It helps Frawley enormously that he has the world class Jamison Gibson-Park operating inside him to share the tactical decision-making when it comes to controlling the game. Craig Casey was excellent against Ospreys last weekend and his performance, in tandem with Crowley, will go a long way towards deciding the outcome of this one.

Set piece showdown

From that perspective, the performance of the respective front fives will, as always, play a crucial role in deciding which set of half backs is provided with the better platform from which to control matters.

The set piece battle will be monstrous. The fact that Leinster start with five of the Irish pack that got the better of the Springboks in Durban is a great starting point not to mention that one of the Springbok behemoths that day, RG Snyman, starts alongside James Ryan in the second row.

Peter O'Mahony’s absence is a blow to Munster’s line out options, especially on the opposition throw with a rookie hooker in Lee Barron still learning the ropes. Leinster’s scrum has been problematic of late, conceding the most penalties in the URC on their own ball while Munster’s scrum has enjoyed a 100% success rate across their opening three matches.

As ever the breakdown will be key and Leinster excel in slowing the recycle of the opposition ball. This plays right into their blitz defence which continues to evolve under Jacques Nienaber. That system does offer space to attack on the outside channels, something Crowley is very aware of. His ability to punish that, however, comes back to Munster’s ability to recycle possession in under three seconds, easier said than done given the quality of Leinster’s back row.

Leinster are clear favourites to win this one, but if Munster can compete successfully up front, match the bench impact that Leinster will unleash and impose their own attacking brand of rugby, they will be inspired by the 30,000-plus red army of supporters ready to take over Croke Park.

Result apart, we are set fair for one brilliant rugby occasion.