A winner of three Heineken Cups with Leinster, there are few people better placed to comment on Ireland’s most successful province, and the European outlook in general, than Irish legend Brian O’Driscoll.
Currently adapting to life as a BT Sport ambassador, the centre’s love for the blue shirt and his old club remains strong. But ahead of their semi-final against Toulon in Marseille this weekend, O’Driscoll is wary.
“I think the problem with Leinster is they haven’t had a huge performance this year,” says the former centre. “Waiting for a semi-final for that to happen is quite a big ask, but they’ve got to a semi-final without really playing great, which is the sign of a good team in itself.
“They’ll need a lot of things to go right. Can they stop them? Yeah. Will they? Probably not. I hope I’m wrong.”
The core of the side that won three Heineken Cups in 2009, 2011 and 2012 is mostly gone, but O’Driscoll is of the opinion that it is the absence of one man in particular that has hampered Leinster’s progress in recent times. He is modest enough not to name himself.
“I don’t think it’s as good an attacking side as that 2012 team – there was a real clarity [in that team]. With the greatest respect for Jimmy Gopperth, any team that loses Johnny Sexton is going to be less for it.
“In a pivotal position like 10, someone like Johnny can turn a game as he did in the final in 2011 against Northampton. He turned it on his own. So you’re dealing with that calibre of player.”
That day, Sexton almost single-handedly handed Leinster the title. They went in at the break 22-6 down, and it is alleged that it was Sexton who took charge in the changing room, rallying the side ahead of experienced leaders like O’Driscoll himself. He went on to score two second half tries to seal the most astonishing final comeback for quite some time.
Of course, the fly-half will return to Leinster next season having spent two – not entirely successful – years plying his trade for Racing Métro in Paris. It culminated in the Champions Cup quarter final loss to Saracens, a game in which Sexton suffered a niggling injury and had to relinquish the kicking duties. It was a fitting summary of his time in the French capital.
The Parisian aristocrats’ conquerors that day, Saracens, march on towards a second successive final. Standing in their way is Clermont, a team they steamrolled 46-6 at this stage last year, but O’Driscoll thinks a repeat of that result is far from likely – mainly because of the astonishing manner in which Les Jaunards won their own semi-final, hammering Northampton, victims once again, 37-5.
“They [Clermont] looked as though they were playing a different sport to the Saints. Sometimes you get that, when you play teams and you stand back and after 25 minutes it’s damage limitation. If Clermont get back to that level again in the semi or final, I don’t think anyone can match it.
“I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall and heard what Jim Mallinder had to say when you’re 27-0 down in Clermont, knowing what’s coming in the second half. That’s not an easy team talk to give.”
Clermont, however, have developed an unwelcome tag as chokers, when it comes to the business end of tournaments. Last year’s capitulation to Saracens came a year on from a final in which they went down to Toulon, despite being ahead for large swathes of the game.
It is what is between the ears that matters at this stage of the competition. Despite perhaps not possessing the same calibre of attacking players as the French side, the mental battle is where Saracens will have the edge.
In pure rugby terms, Clermont are the better side. But when it comes to semi-finals, it is more often than not composure, rather than raw talent, that wins games.
“For the team that hasn’t won it, the psychology is slightly different. Clermont have been in three semi-finals and one final, but yet they still haven’t got the medal. Psychologically that is a big factor, and there are extra stresses and strains that come with that.
“From Sarries point of view, the reason to stay in the game is you start reminding Clermont what happened last year.”
Returning to matters closer to his heart, O’Driscoll still believes Leinster have what it takes to win the competition this season, despite the side being a poorer version of the one he graced for so many years.
“When Leinster get into a semi-final they believe they can win it, irrespective of who the opposition is,” he says. “That usually comes with having had some good performances throughout the year, and they’ve been good in parts, but there haven’t been too many full 80 minute performances.
“But they’ll be the eternal optimists and think their biggest performance of the season will come in the semi-final. They went to Bordeaux a couple of years ago and won against Clermont, so it’s not unimagineable.
“They’ve been there on countless occasion, and know how to do it. They’ll still make Toulon work for their win. They certainly won’t roll over.”
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
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