Leinster are the sole Irish flag-bearers in the Champions Cup but their captain won’t be lifting it for a while
Matt O’Connor confirmed, following Leinster’s 50-8 romp over Castres, that Jamie Heaslip was removed from the pitch as a precaution. Heaslip was taken off midway through the second-half, at the RDS, but his coach declares he is ‘good as gold’ for next weekend’s pool decider against Wasps.
‘He just got another bang on that shoulder,’ O’Connor commented. ‘Given where the game was at, we thought we’d use the luxury to get him off the field.’
O’Connor was delighted with the manner in which his side, particularly the backline, dismantled a lacklustre French side. He said, ‘It was probably (the best the backs played all season). The preparation was very good all week.We knew their motivation would be questionable and if we got a platform up front there would be space to play. We tried to tap and go, counter attack and build phases by making them work really hard and we got the benefit of it.’
Devin Toner was as surprised as just about everyone else at the RDS with his man-of-the-match award. ‘It’s good seeing everyone doing well and clicking,’ he said, ‘and everything happening the way it is supposed to happen. It’s hugely positive and adds some extra confidence to the squad.
As a forward, it is brilliant to see it all work. First scrum, against the head, winning it. First line-out, off the top, score straight away. It’s just hugely positive. As a forward it is great, to get that confidence boost in knowing that the backs are coming through. A lot of lads put their hands up today for man-of-the-match and, for the life of me, I don’t know how I got it.
Defeats for Munster and Ulster, earlier today, mean Leinster are the last Irish province standing in the Champions Cup. Toner admits he is surprised that at least one more province did not make the cut.
He said, ‘Everyone knows the qualities Munster have and you can see that as they out it up to us, and beat us, twice this year. With the success that Irish teams have had in the European competitions, teams get themselves up for games against us.’
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