MATT O’CONNOR IS aware that Leinster’s Heineken Cup pool this year is every bit as difficult as the one that saw them fail to advance to the quarter-finals last season.
Two defeats to Clermont in December 2012 were the results that proved costly for the three-time champions, and O’Connor is insistent that Leinster need to take every point on offer this time around if they are to avoid a repeat.
Drawn in Pool 1 with the Ospreys, Castres and the Northampton Saints, the RaboDirect Pro12 champions are facing what could easily be described as a ‘pool of death’. Instead, this should be viewed as the ‘pool of life,’ where every game will be closely-fought and every round is likely to be thrilling. This kind of unpredictable pool is what the Heineken Cup is all about.
It appears improbable that any of the four teams will go undefeated over the course of six games, so try-scoring and losing bonus points could prove key in the end. O’Connor told TheScore.ie that even if his side do suffer losses, they must focus on each game as it comes.
“[It's a tough group] in the sense that there’s no easy games. There’s no easy points and that will mean that it will put a lot of pressure on the group to get a second place out of it. It will put a lot of pressure on the group to get a home quarter-final spot.
We can’t control that. It’s about controlling everything in our power to get maximum points every time we play. The fact that the group is so tough gives a certain amount of clarity in relation to our preparation and making sure that we aim up every time we play.”
While a visit to the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium comes first for Leinster, a week later they host Top 14 champions Castres, a club whose European ambitions have nearly always been de-prioritized in favour of domestic efforts.
Having lifted the Bouclier de Brennus for the first time in 20 years last season, it is possible that Castres will now make a more concerted effort to advance beyond the pool stages. First-choice players like Rory Kockott, Richie Gray and Antonie Claassen would certainly relish the chance to take on Leinster. However, even if Castres do send a weakened side to the RDS, O’Connor is wary of the threat they pose.
“The reality of the squads in France are that they’ve got 30 or 40 very good players to pick from and they’re used to that mentality of picking an away team and picking a home team.
“So it’s about making sure that we aim up, regardless of who they pick. We need to make sure that we’re on top of our game, that our attitude is right. Then we’ll put out a performance worthy of getting a result.”
After that encounter in Dublin comes a double-header against the Northampton Saints, who recruited so impressively in the off-season, bringing in George North, Kahn Fotuali’i and Alex Corbisiero among others. The five opening rounds of the Premiership have seen Jim Mallinder’s men score 15 tries as they look to widen their attacking game.
O’Connor says that despite the ability of North out wide, he can see the Saints reverting to their traditional power up front when the going gets tough.
From the little bits I’ve seen of the Premiership, they’re certainly playing to their edges a little bit more, they’re certainly playing to George North and trying to put the ball in his hands, as you would. He’s a prodigious talent.
“So there’s a little bit more flexibility in the way they’re playing, a little bit more creativity in the way that they’re approaching the game, but I think when push comes to shove, they will go to their strengths and we’ll have to make sure that we can match them.”
Whatever about the qualities of Northampton and Castres, Leinster need to focus on Saturday night’s showdown with the Ospreys, a side they are more than familiar with. Avoiding defeat in the opening game is seen as a crucial feature of any Heineken Cup-winning campaign, and O’Connor will be hoping he doesn’t have to disprove that trend this season.
