Provinces off to winning start in European top flight

The decision-makers in both the EPCR and IRFU would have been entitled to recline in their office chairs somewhat smugly on Monday morning. The tweaks to the Champions and Challenge Cups largely worked over the course of the opening weekend, and the Irish provinces were evidently not hampered by the instructions imposed on them regarding their frontline players.

Leinster appeared fresh rather than rusty, and the decision to bring 41 players to South Africa, while not playing nine of their Ireland summer tourists, appears to have ben vindicated. Hence, that mini-tour can only have enhanced squad unity and Leinster have also looked fitter than they were at this stage last season when they lost to Munster at Croke Park, their third defeat of their first four games.

Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter – scrummaging strongly and for once receiving a fair crack from an English referee – all looked in prime nick. Likewise, Joe McCarthy and James Ryan, while Ryan Baird’s return must be like having a new signing.

Josh van der Flier was true to his word in adding more of a jackal threat at the breakdown, making two clean turnovers at Stade Marcel-Michelin to augment his strong carrying and all-round game.

Revived in the second half of last season, when he was unlucky to miss out on some big games, Jimmy O’Brien is playing the best rugby of his career in making light of Leinster bidding adieu to James Lowe and Rieko Ioane. Hugo Keenan, Tommy O’Brien and Garry Ringrose all looked sharp, while Robbie Henshaw has also had a rejuvenation.

And then there was Sam Prendergast. Critics of his defence will cite the missed tackle on his inside shoulder for Clermont’s first try, but for the second week running he was named player of the match. His decision at the start of the second half to run turnover ball from close to his own line, the execution of his kick on the run for Jimmy O’Brien, and then supporting to score was a pivotal moment in the game. Pure vision and class, albeit after last season’s improvement his goalkicking is an issue..

One hopes the Irish “system” doesn’t curb him, or Munster’s Charlie O’Shea, of his natural instincts as it has done with so many gifted, slightly maverick talents in the past. Seán Edogbo’s performance, some slick handling and good defensive sets against a big Racing side were other positives in another encouraging Munster display.

Former Ireland outhalf Ronan O’Gara was critical of the Munster Branch’s decision to move last Saturday’s game against Racing 92 to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, claiming that playing the fixture at Thomond Park would have been a more fitting way to honour the 10th anniversary of Anthony Foley’s passing.

The Munster Branch, who surprisingly remain somewhat prickly to criticism, issued a statement defending the decision. The attendance of 24,906 on Saturday night was still comfortably the second biggest crowd of the weekend, behind only Toulouse v Exeter, and will be the largest for any pool game played in Ireland this season.

A great city though Cork is, the in-game atmosphere was curiously muted. Admittedly the 8pm kick-off didn’t help, as was the case last December against Gloucester. And disappointingly, there were no flags flying at either end of the ground.

Reading some of the reports out of France, where simmering disquiet among vast tracts of the population have again boiled over, the normal bonhomie of a trek to the Stade Marcel-Michelin was replaced by some truly menacing scenes. This must have been the least enjoyable trip to the Auvergne for Leinster fans, some of whom were forced to seek shelter in a cathedral at one point.

On the pitch, the biggest blemish was undoubtedly the shoulder injury suffered by Jack Conan in the act of scoring a gem of a try. He seemed set for another vintage season but now looks likely to miss next month’s Nations Championship fixtures, compounding the absence of Caelan Doris.

Ireland manager Andy Farrell will announce his squad on Wednesday and didn’t look the happiest bunny after seeing his son and his old team Saracens beaten by Connacht in Saturday’s thriller at the Dexcom.

Yet there was also encouraging news in the performance of the province’s Ireland contingent, not least Sean Jansen, who could become the go-to number eight. And Ciarán Frawley’s move west already looks fully vindicated; talk about hitting the ground running.

It still seems a little ridiculous that Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham couldn’t play, as Stuart Lancaster had used them in the previous three fixtures.

Hansen, who had been sidelined since last November, only managed three games in total last season so must be itching for, and in need of, game time. Bealham wasn’t part of Ireland’s summer tour, and his three appearances, one of which was off the bench, amounted to a grand total of 130 minutes.

As much as the duo would have loved watching their team-mates perform so thrillingly against Saracens, it must have been a tough game to miss.

But bringing the first round forward certainly achieved its primary aim of igniting the Champions Cup earlier in the season, while weather conditions were still favourable. Overall, it was a positive launching pad for the tournament, beginning with Gloucester holding back-to-back champions Bordeaux Bègles to a 36-all draw on Friday night.

While Exeter also ran Toulouse close in their Sunday thriller, it wasn’t until Northampton’s victory over Cardiff in the final game of the weekend that a Premiership side managed to claim a win. The French were restricted to four wins, which was also no harm.

Another tweak to the competition was a change to the bonus-point system, with a team now having to score at least three more tries than their opponents in order to earn an attacking bonus point.

As a consequence, there were 10 fewer try-scoring bonus points claimed over the first round compared to what would have been the case under the old system. It did seem a little harsh on Saracens and Exeter, having scored six tries apiece away from home, not to mention Connacht and Toulouse, who both scored seven.

Munster also missed out, but then again, so too did Pool 3 rivals Gloucester and Bordeaux Bègles. And as head coach Clayton McMillan noted, the change means losing teams won’t obtain cheap bonus points if winning sides decide to down tools as full-time nears.

Another tweak will be that after the top three teams in each pool (who qualify automatically), the remaining four Round of 16 qualifiers will be determined based on points, regardless of which groups they are in.

Applying both changes in retrospect last season, Munster and the Sharks would have advanced rather than Leicester and the Bulls, although Munster would have been away to Bordeaux Bègles. All in all, they do look like positive tweaks.

The Champions Cup has had its lift-off and, especially on these shores, has injected some life into the season. But now, having had a taste of European rugby, it returns to hibernation until the second round in December. If only there was another round next weekend. Alas, that fundamental flaw remains.