Donal Lenihan: Toulouse and Leinster look down from a lofty plateau

It really was a special time. Sadly the manner in which the revamped tournament — still referred to as the Heineken Cup by so many in Munster and beyond — hasn’t captured the imagination to anything like the same degree. How could it when 16 of the 24 teams survive the cut after a diluted pool stage without having to put in any great effort.

The disappearance of home and away pool games has led to an imbalance in the draw while far too many teams set out on their journey not only lacking belief in their ability to lift the trophy but without any great ambition to even make the knockout phase. Just one round into this season’s campaign and already the destination of the trophy appears the sole preserve of last year’s finalists, Leinster and Toulouse.

Recent back-to-back winners La Rochelle and fellow Top 14 pretenders Bordeaux-Begles will certainly have a say on that while it will be interesting to see if any of the big South African teams —the Bulls, Stormers, and Sharks — decide to take this new frontier a bit more seriously.

The Sharks, sprinkled with Springboks, won the Challenge Cup on their maiden voyage last season and were the only one of the three South African teams to launch this season’s European campaign with a win last weekend.

The fact the IRFU hosted a fourth autumn international to mark its 150th anniversary meant the tournament crept up almost unnoticed last week but, as has been the case for some time now, the amount of clubs that sent out understrength teams to launch this campaign reflects poorly on a once great tournament.

Preparing for television duty on Munster’s opener against Stade Francais, I had to do a deep dive to mine any nuggets of information on the team Stade sent to Thomond Park. Retaining only four starters from the side Paul Gustard selected for the big Parisian derby against Racing 92 two weeks previously, it was obvious from the outset they have little or no designs on progressing to the next phase of the tournament in the new year.

Sadly that stance was replicated across the board over the weekend. After watching Toulouse and Leinster in action against Ulster and Bristol Bears on Sunday afternoon, it appears unlikely, even at this early stage, that a winner will emerge from outside those two star-studded squads.

The quality on show in both games was staggering. Given the side Richie Murphy started, it appeared inevitable that Ulster would be on the end of a thumping. The fact Toulouse bagged a four-try bonus point by the 27th minute — a reprieve given a potential fourth was ruled out for a controversial offside call six minutes earlier — said it all.

By half time, Toulouse had scored six tries and 40 points. Game over. Once again Antoine Dupont was sublime. The game’s leading player, he is worth the ticket price alone. In a sport increasingly dominated by behemoths, it’s refreshing to see such a comparatively diminutive figure run rings around all the big boys. He’s a generational talent, a truly inspirational figure for his team. By full time, Toulouse had scored nine tries despite pulling up in the final quarter.

Just when you were forming the opinion that nobody could come close to the French aristocrats, Leinster produced a third quarter of such stunning quality against a Bristol Bears side currently sitting second in the Premiership that a swift reappraisal was called for.

Unleashing a bench that would give the famed Springbok “bomb squad” a run for their money, Leinster scored three converted tries in a stunning assault between the 52nd and 58th minute to race into an unassailable 21-point lead.

Most striking of all was the impact of debutant All Black Jordie Barrett at inside centre. On his first touch he put the impressive Sam Prendergast through a hole to register a first-ever European try for the young out-half on his debut. With his second touch, Barrett scored himself. Two minutes later, Prendergast tagged on his second try.

Only a chosen few are aware of the financial package that attracted Barrett to Dublin in the first place but in that six-minute spell alone, he justified whatever it cost to secure his services for the next six months. Leo Cullen’s biggest challenge arrives when everyone is fit and how he goes about accommodating such exceptional talent in his starting back division.

Try picking a midfield combination alone between Barrett, Garry Ringrose, and Robbie Henshaw. Ringrose ended up on the right wing in that second half but what do you do when James Lowe, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, Jimmy O’Brien, and Sunday’s starting full back Ciarán Frawley are all available for selection in the back three? That type of selection headache perfectly incapsulates where Leinster sit at the moment.

WHILE things are a bit more turbulent in Munster as the search for a new head coach gathers momentum, Saturday’s positive showing and result against an admittedly underwhelming and totally indisciplined Stade Francais outfit was welcome and encouraging.

For that much credit is due to the coaching triumvirate of Ian Costello, Mike Prendergast, and Denis Leamy for not only steadying the ship but for overseeing a maximum five-point return from this key opening fixture. After all it’s three years since Munster have managed to launch their European campaign with a win.

New interim forwards coach Alex Codling has had an immediate impact on the productivity of the Munster line out with Peter O’Mahony dominating the airways not only on Munster’s delivery but on the Stade throw.

Currently employed in a similar capacity with the Ireland women’s side for their forthcoming Six Nations campaign, I suspect the former England international may well be sounded out as to his interest in coming on board with Munster on a permanent basis.

Prior to that, Munster, in conjunction with new IRFU performance director David Humphreys, must decide not only on the identity of a new head coach to succeed Graham Rowntree but, of more importance, on the shape and direction of the management setup.

Munster are crying out for the stability a long-term director of rugby would bring to the setup. That appointment would enable the head coach concentrate solely on preparation and selection without the burden of responsibility for wider issues such as recruitment and player retention, development of pathways leading to the academy and beyond, along with dealing with player welfare and employment issues in conjunction with the CEO.

While Cullen carries the title of head coach in Leinster, it’s clear his role is far more aligned with that of a director of rugby. The appointment of a hugely respected figure in Chris Boyd as a performance consultant to critique the Munster setup is a step in the right direction as far as I’m concerned.

I’m sure it won’t take him long to assess if someone already in the building — Mike Prendergast being the most obvious figure — is capable of assuming the head coach role while also running the rule over other potential candidates such as Felix Jones. That appointment should not happen in isolation as the entire shape and direction of the management setup requires a thorough deep dive.

With Boyd in situ, Munster have a highly experienced rugby head to undertake a full and frank appraisal of where the province sits purely from a rugby perspective. 

It’s imperative that Munster not only use his time within the coaching setup productively but take on board whatever recommendations he comes up with. I’ll be following his deliberations with interest over the weeks to come.