If the last game of the regular Guinness PRO14 season was an audition for the Champions Cup final, several Leinster players failed.
Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster brought 12 Ireland internationals [8 Grand Slam winners] to Galway at the weekend and left with a resounding defeat. Connacht waved off John Muldoon with a superb 47-10 victory that will buoy them over the summer months and through pre-season.
For Leinster, many players did not cover themselves in glory.
Andrew Porter was rattled in the scrum, Max Deegan had his pocket picked on a couple of occasions, Tom Daly looked rusty and Connacht’s Gavin Thornbury outshone Leinster locks Mich Kearney and Ross Molony while Joey Carbery was roughed up by the likes of Tom Farrell and Bundee Aki. Muldoon stole an early Leinster lineout as that set-piece faltered too.
One player that may also look back on the match with regret is James Lowe. The Kiwi’s “casual” performance was discussed [from 35:00 below] on the latest episode of The Hard Yards and does not make for pretty listening.
If Leinster can get Luke McGrath fit and back, Lowe will surely be back in consideration for the Champions Cup final on May 12 but the Connacht performance did him no favours.
The winger shot out of the line to try pressure Tom Farrell, unsuccessfully, in the lead-up to Niyi Adeolokun’s first try and threw a sloppy pass that Tiernan O’Halloran intercepted with far too much ease.
Former Munster and Ireland centre James Downey said:
“It was an extremely casual performance from Lowe and how he went about it.
“Leinster don’t like going to The Sportsground. The don’t have a great record there, they usually change their team. But it could be a bit of a ind-set thing for Leinster and this could be a kick up the arse – we can’t switch off… Don’t believe all the stuff that people are speaking about you too.
“This could be used as a stick to beat them with over the coming weeks.”
The main competition for Lowe, should McGrath get back playing, would be Isa Nacewa. The club captain was solid in defence against Scarlets without offering much in attack. With Racing 92 up next in the Champions Cup final, one imagines Leinster will go with the safe bet.
