Can Leinster tame Tigers?
RUGBY HEINEKEN CUP FINAL PREVIEW BY DAMIAN DOLAN
eating Munster at in a far more exerting clash Croke Park will with London Irish, having count for nothing already overcome Bath in unless Leinster the semi-finals. Saturday now go on and lift will be the Tigers fourth the Heineken Cup, huge game in a row. according to winger Simon “You can look at it in Keogh. two ways; you can say Usually at this time of they’re getting practice in year, Leinster ’s players the big games or you can have long since dispersed say it’s difficult for them on their summer holidays, playing four big games in a but this Saturday will see row. But either way you Irish rugby’s perpetual look at it, the biggest tourunderachievers grace their nament in Europe is the first European Cup final. Heineken Cup and you Having turned the want to be champions of tables on Munster at Croke Europe, so I’m sure they’ll Park, Leinster must now be massively focused on overcome the sizable obsta- the Heineken Cup,” said cle of Leicester at Keogh. Murrayfield on Saturday “They do have a very with the Tigers looking to big squad and a lot of qualcomplete part two of the ity players; they have Lions double having seen off on the bench. They can London Irish last weekend rotate their team and it will at Twickenham to be be just as strong as the crowned Guinness week before, just different Premiership champions for personalities in there, so a second time. they can take each game as It was the Tigers fifth it comes.” s u c c e s s i v e Having left Premiership final Harlequins last sumand Saturday mer to rejoin Heineken Cup Final will be the fifth Leinster, Keogh time they have LEICESTER was an unused appeared in TIGERS V replacement in the Heineken LEINSTER the quarter-final Cup final, havwin over his old Saturday 23rd May Murrayfield ing won the side at the Stoop Kick-off 5pm tournament in and again against 2001 and 2002, while Munster at Croke ending as runners up in Park. 1997 and 2007 – a cup final “It was almost like a pedigree that Leinster can home game for me; I’d only dream of emulating. been there for five years “Now it’s all about and I lived just over the focusing on Leicester and back of the stand, so it was the challenge that comes frustrating but it was one with them. It was great to of those games that as a win but it counts for noth- sub you understand when ing unless we win in the they don’t make any final,” Keogh told The changes,” he said. Irish World. “I was obviously frus“All the talk afterwards trated with the Munster [beating Munster] was that game but at the same time we had done a job. We it was for the best. I was knew it was going to be dif- covering scrm half and ficult but we thought if we Chris Whitaker was going win this and then turn well so there was no need around and lose in the for any shake up. I can be final, no one will remem- frustrated as an individual ber that game against but I’m very happy that Munster.” we are in the final and “Experience is very there are opportunities important; it took Munster there now.” three attempts to win the Keogh would spend Heineken Cup and it’s very five eventful years at difficult to get that experi- Harlequins, a spell that ence unless you are in the would encompass relegafinal. You can almost tion, promotion and regard the Munster game European Challenge Cup as a final type situation - success in 2004, before that was a massive game returning last summer to that we overcame. the province where he Experience is massive but spent his early career it’s not everything.” before embarking for west In 2006 Munster beat London. A Heineken Cup Leinster on their way to winners medal on lifting the Heineken Cup Saturday for Keogh would in Cardiff and Leinster will make it all worth while. take any omen they can get “I’m Irish and I wanttheir hands on, as the chal- ed to play in Ireland; I lenge they face on Saturday wasn’t happy with my could hardly be greater. first stint at Leinster, I didBut the two sides arrive n’t make the impression I in Edinburgh on the back wanted to so I returned to of contrasting build ups. Ireland to correct what I While Leinster ’s Croke thought were wrongs in the Park heroes were afforded first place. It would be a a weekend off as they com- massive reward if at the pleted their domestic cam- end of it there was a paign against the Dragons, Heineken Cup winners Leicester were embroiled medal,” he said.
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The Irish World
SPORT
23 May, 2009
RUGBY GUINNESSPREMIERSHIPFINAL
ALEAP
DAMIAN DOLAN AT TWICKENHAM
LEICESTERTIGERS.......................10 LONDONIRISH..................................9
CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE or Irish, the harsh realisation that their season is over - a season to which they contributed so much, but have ultimately ended empty handed. Head coach Toby Booth vowed that the Exiles, having tasted the Premiership’s showpiece final for the first time, will be back next season, but with Irish back in the Heineken Cup, returning to Twickenham in 12 months time will be a monumental ask. “You have to take the limited opportunities you get and be clinical, but we didn’t do that enough” said Booth. “It’s the streetwise factor; if you want to beat Leicester and the top sides you have to be streetwise, and it was a point at the end of the day. The boys in the huddle at the end were saying ‘right, get used to it because we’re coming back here next year and we’re going to win it’ – that shows me a side with ambition.” The harsh truth for London Irish to face is that they may never get a better chance to be crowned Guinness Premiership champions. Leicester were out of sorts while the Exiles, 33/1 shots at the start of the season, had their chances but simply couldn’t take them. Irish needed a good start and they were given the perfect one when Sam Vesty’s clearance only found Peter Hewat and the Exiles full back sent a wobbly drop goal attempt between the uprights. The Tigers would respond but their usual clinical edge was missing as errors allowed the Exiles to escape unscathed as Leicester dominated the opening ten minutes. Johne Murphy was enjoying a mixed start, and it was his slip which allowed Mike Catt’s kick to find touch and give Irish some breathing space. Johne Murphy then sliced through Irish and found the dangerous New Zealander Scott Hamilton, only for crossing in midfield to again allow the Exiles to escape and keep their lead in tact. But it wasn’t just with the ball in hand that the Exiles would spurn chances as Delon Armitage missed a penalty chance to extend the lead, while at the other end the Irish full backs early tackle on George Chuter allowed scrum half Julien Dupuy to level the scores. But the Tigers were having their own problems in front of goal as Dupuy missed the chance to edge the Tigers ahead, while Johne Murphy, who had rolled his ankle in the warm up, was forced to admit defeat and leave the fray. Irish had been unable to impose any of their usual pace in to their game, but that changed when Paul Hodgson’s quick tap penalty got the Exiles in behind the Tigers. It would signal the beginning of a 15 minutes spell up to half time which would see the Exiles probe and test the Tigers defence. Catt’s chip for Delon Armitage was cleaned up by Geordan Murphy but with the Tigers midfield offside Hewat had a shot at the uprights, only to see his effort come back off a post. James Hudson, a try scoring hero for Irish in their semi final win over Harlequins, was sent screaming into Tigers 22 while Chris Hala’ufia was also making yards as Irish began to tick. Great work at the breakdown by Steffon Armitage gave brother Delon
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PICTURES: BRENDAN VAUGHAN
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another crack at the posts, only for another chance to go a begging. Catt’s up and under was inexplicably allowed to bounce by Leicester with Steffon Arimtage gobbling it up to set up an Irish siege on the Tigers line. A succession of scrums would see Crane despatched to the bin but yield no points for Irish, as the Tigers raced down the tunnel as referee Wayne Barnes blew for half-time knowing that they had wriggled off the hook. Delon Armitage landed a second half penalty to edge Irish back in front, but with Crane back on the field Leicester began to take control. It was the Tiger’s turn to inject some pace in to the game and a flat pass released Hamilton, as Steffon Armitage went for the intercept but missed, with the underrated Dan Hipkiss threatening to slalom his way over the line. Irish needed a great tackle from Tom Homer to wrap up Hipkiss when the Tigers had men over, but the pressure was growing on the Exiles and it finally told when Ayoola Erinle shrugged off the tackles before Matt Smith jinxed inside and Crane stretched for the line. Crucially Dupuy added the extras and Irish trailed
■ Bob Casey secures clean lineout ball for Irish with a little help from Richard Skuse and James Hudson
by four. Delon Armitage landed a fantastic penalty from half way to bring the Exiles within drop goal range, but Leicester were far too streetwise to again let Irish within range of their posts. “To have the added responsibility to lead the team out was a huge honour and I was absolutely delighted,” said Leicester stand in captain Geordan Murphy, in the absence of Martin Corry. “We didn’t play as well as we could today and we’ll definitely have to improve next week - Leinster are a fantastic side with threats right across the board.”
Teams&Scorers:
LEICESTER TIGERS: Tries: Crane; Cons: Dupuy; Pens: Dupuy. LONDON IRISH: Pens: D Armitage (2); Drop Goals: Hewat. LEICESTER TIGERS: G Murphy, S Hamilton, A Erinle, D Hipkiss, J Murphy (M Smith 21min), S Vesty, J Dupuy, M Ayerza, G Chuter (B Kayser 57min), J White (D Cole 75min), T Croft, B Kay, C Newby, B Woods (L Moody 59min), J Crane. Sin Bin: Crane (40min) LONDON IRISH: P Hewat (E Seveali’I 63min), A Thompstone (T Homer 41min), D Armitage, S Mapusua, M Tagicakibau, M Catt, P Hodgson, C Dermody (G Johnson 72min), D Coetzee (J Buckland 72min), R Skuse (A Corbisiero 63min), J Hudson, B Casey, D Danaher (R Thorpe 41min), S Armitage, C Hala’Ufia.
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