Injury-ravaged Munster will look to derail a ‘brilliantly boring’ Leinster team at Thomond Park on Friday night, according to defence coach Denis Leamy.
Leo Cullen’s side will arrive in Limerick in imposing form, and are yet to taste defeat in all competitions this season.
The hosts, meanwhile, have endured a turbulent campaign, with the shock departure of head coach Graham Rowntree after just six rounds of the URC, while scrum-half Craig Casey, midfielder Alex Nankivell, lock Jean Kleyn, wing Thaakir Abrahams and prop David Kilcoyne were all added to a mounting longterm injury list yesterday.
Munster haven’t beaten their arch rivals at their fortress for six years, and they will face a formidable challenge against a Leinster team that is showing a real ruthless streak this term, spearheaded by former Springbok defence guru Jacques Nienaber.
‘There’s definitely a big change in mindset from what I can see,’ former Munster No8 Leamy noted on Leinster’s style of play.
‘They are, how would I say – brilliantly boring. And I say that giving them a lot of credit and admiration, but you know they kick the ball almost more than any other team in the league. They play territory more than any other team in the league.
‘They’re just brutal then when they get into your score zone. They have this power-based game now that is really, really strong and how you deny them access to that is the key thing. They back their defence, they back their kicking game.
‘They don’t try to do too much in terms of overplaying, and they just strangle it, put you down into the 22, and then there’s big powerful men running down on top of you. And they’re a handful.’
Despite Munster’s list of casualties, the province has been galvanised by an impressive backs-to-the-wall display in Belfast last weekend.
Despite limited territory and possession, Munster sealed a rare bonus-point win at Ulster on a night when the visitors were forced to make a whopping 311 tackles.
Stalwarts such as Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Diarmuid Barron are nearing returns from injury, and all three could be back in contention to face the Blues.
It promises to be a fiery derby at a sold-out Thomond Park, and Leamy is hoping the febrile atmosphere can drive the underdogs to another level. ‘Hopefully we’ll never lose that. It means a lot to both camps,’ he said.
‘We’ll have a packed stadium on Friday night. It’ll be really buzzing and the boys really look forward to this fixture every Christmas. It’s very special. The emotion part of it is always there.’
Meanwhile, Leinster have been given a huge injury boost ahead of the eagerly-anticipated interpro, with Jamie Osborne in line for a return.
Osborne has been out of action since the versatile back suffered a groin injury against Fiji during Ireland’s autumn campaign last month.
Max Deegan, Jordan Larmour, Tommy O’Brien and Jack Conan are touch and go for Thomond, while Dan Sheehan, Rob Russell, Will Connors, Tadhg Furlong, Ciarán Frawley, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Liam Turner and Thomas Clarkson all remain sidelined.
Cullen is still set to name a stellar matchday squad, however, with RG Snyman, Jordie Barrett, Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Garry Ringrose all set to feature.
Robbie Henshaw is also poised to return to the Leinster midfield after he was given last week off.
