URC SCENE-SETTER: SA-bound Leinster can ease pain for waning Ireland

The final round of the Guinness Six Nations brought to an end the international phase of the northern hemisphere season and now for the Home Unions, who were beaten into also-ran status, the next stop is the British and Irish Lions series in Australia in July.

For the individual nations, who because of the Lions tour will fulfil mid-year commitments under-strength, the next stop is the Autumn Series featuring the southern series in November.

When that happens, the Lions coach Andy Farrell will return to his day job as Ireland mentor needing to arrest what is starting to look like a slide down the other side of the hill for a team that started the Six Nations well enough but ended with a bit of a whimper.

Some of the Ireland old stagers have now played their last games and will join the iconic former Irish flyhalf Jonny Sexton in retirement, at least from the international side of the game. Which leaves gaps left by the likes of Peter O’Mahoney to play for.

The prospect of a few changes to a side that ended third and finished off with just a five-point win over Italy should serve as a motivation for players representing the Irish provinces as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship returns this weekend.

SELECTION QUANDARY AHEAD OF SA TRIP

The bulk of the Irish squad play for the URC runaway log leaders Leinster.

While it is unlikely Leinster coach Leo Cullen will return all his first choice internationals straight away, as they did have a punishing schedule in the Six Nations, there would be good reasons for Leinster to come to South Africa for their two-match tour more at full strength than they have been in recent years.

The first reason is that, although Leinster are far out in front on the URC log, their position isn’t as unassailable as it has been at the stages they have sometimes come here under-strength in the past.

With six matches to go they have a 13-point advantage on second-placed Glasgow Warriors, but lose against the Bulls this week and the Sharks in Durban the following week and that lead can be cut to three to five points.

If there is one thing Leinster should have learned from last year’s experience it is the dangers inherent in not finishing top of the log. It was because they finished third last season that they had to come to Loftus for their semifinal.

Which cues another reason why the top players should come - the Leinster first-choice team looked a bit stunned by their first experience of playing the Bulls at Loftus. The hosts, who played that day as if it was their final, won comfortably.

Finish away from the top and Leinster could find themselves coming to South Africa again, so the mistake of not exposing the top players to playing in South Africa and in particular at altitude (something that Glasgow got right and it resulted in them winning the final), should not be repeated.

NEED TO FINE TUNE FOR CHAMPS CUP TIE

Of course, it isn’t a secret that Leinster’s main focus is the Investec Champions Cup, which is where the real bragging rights come for a team of their pedigree. They’ve played and lost the last three Champions Cup finals, all of them by the narrowest of margins.

That’s something they desperately need to turn around, but which France’s ultimate success in the Six Nations would have reminded them is no easy task.

Usually one of the reasons Leinster go under-strength when they come to South Africa is because of the proximity of a big Champions Cup tie, and this trip will be no different.

Leinster will be playing a round of 16 game in the European competition against Harlequins (5 April) the week after they are at Hollywoodbets Kings Park to play what should be hopefully be a heavily Springbok laden Sharks team.

While the logistics provide a challenge, meaning the need to get back across the equator for what could be a tough game for them as Harlequins weren’t far away in the knock-out phase last season, the top team might also need a run before that game arrives.

It could mean the Bulls get to play a stronger Leinster team than the Sharks do, with the Leinster big wigs going all out in Pretoria to avenge last year’s semifinal defeat and then return to Dublin with a fortnight to prepare for Harlequins with a buffer.

Coming to Pretoria and winning might provide some kind of salve to the wounds incurred in surrendering the Six Nations title they won the previous two years, but more importantly provide the platform to strike on the next mission - which is to get that fifth star onto the jerseys by winning a Champions Cup title that has now become so elusive to them.

IMPORTANT GAME FOR THE BULLS


Leinster aren’t just about Irish players and two players on opposing sides in last year’s World Cup final, New Zealand’s Jordie Barrett and South Africa’s RG Snyman, have been a big part of their success this season.

So the Bulls, who after dropping their last game at home to the DHL Stormers desperately need to win themselves if they want to maintain the pressure on Glasgow in the battle for second place, will know they face a tough task regardless of how many first choice Ireland players start against them.

The Sharks have an easier mission this week as they host Zebre, but their coach John Plumtree won’t have forgotten that his team lost to Zebre in Parma in last year’s league game. Plus the lesser of the two Italian teams are showing much improved form this season and, although they are second last at present, they are only four points outside of the top eight bracket.

Therefore they come to South Africa with plenty to play for, and Scarlets, who host the Stormers on Saturday, have much to play for too as they hover around the boundary between a top-eight finish and being an also-ran.

The Stormers have thumped Scarlets the last two times they played them but both those games were played in the Western Cape (one was at Stellenbosch) and Parc Y Scarlets will be way less hospitable.

WELSH TEAMS A TOUGH OBSTACLE AT HOME

John Dobson’s team should at least though have fond memories of the stadium because it was there that a last-gasp try from Ruhan Nel clinched the Stormers their favourable finish on the URC log in the inaugural season, when they ended up going on to win the trophy.

After beating the Bulls, the Stormers suddenly have a rainbow at the end of their tunnel, but they need to win one of their two tour games against Scarlets or Ulster the following weekend to really set themselves up for a finish home run of four matches that starts in mid-April.

One thing in the Stormers’ favour is that they are no longer in the EPCR mix, so after this short tour they have a three week break before they next play again. They can, as the saying goes, give it horns.

The Emirates Lions have crept into the top eight for the first time in a few months thanks to the bonus point they picked up in defeat to the Sharks in Durban last time out. The Lions are heading in the same direction as the Stormers this week, with a Friday night game against Cardiff scheduled for Cardiff Arms Park.

Neither of the two Welsh teams will be easy opponents for the South African visitors but if a visiting side can win while their countrymen fail it will give them a leg up in the race for a top eight finish.

Both have extended home runs to look forward to when they return to South Africa but that means it is even more imperative to win now.

WEEKEND VODACOM UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES (Round 13)

Cardiff Rugby v Emirates (Cardiff, Friday 9:35pm)

Glasgow Warriors v Munster (Glasgow, Friday 9:35pm)

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Zebre (Durban, Saturday 2:45pm)

Benetton v Edinburgh (Treviso, Saturday 5pm)

Vodacom Bulls v Leinster (Pretoria, Saturday 5pm)

Scarlets v DHL Stormers (Llanelli, Saturday 5pm)

Dragons v Ulster (Newport, Saturday 7:15pm)

Ospreys v Connacht (Swansea, Saturday 7:15pm)

Final round Guinness Six Nations results

Italy 17 Ireland 22

Wales 14 England 68

France 35 Scotland 16