Matt Williams’ dig at Jacques Nienaber predicting that Leinster will be ‘exploited’ again
Jacques Nienaber (Credit INPHO/Ben Brady, EPCR Rugby) and an inset of Matt Williams.
Matt Williams believes that Leinster head into the knockout stages of the Investec Champions Cup sporting the underdogs tag, an unfamiliar position for the province.
Leo Cullen’s men went four from four in the pool stages of the tournament, but have been more underwhelming in the United Rugby Championship, winning nine of their 14 league matches.
It’s hardly a poor return, but the Irish giants have usually led the table for much of the regular season, which has not been the case this season. While they have managed to win regularly, their performances have been unconvincing at times.
Leinster still Ireland’s best hope
Ahead of the Champions Cup last-16 matches, Williams says that Leinster are still the leading Irish province in terms of silverware prospects but aren’t sporting the usual favourites tag in the competition.
“One week out from the Champions Cup (awful) Round of 16 and once again it is Leinster, under the calm and careful guidance of Leo Cullen, who are the best positioned of the Irish provincial teams,” the former Scotland boss wrote in the Irish Times.
“This year, instead of being front runners, Leinster are coming around the final curve in the unfamiliar position of one wide and one back. The men in blue are happily watching the pressure that is usually on them clamp on to the shoulders of others.”
Andy Farrell selected an Ireland and Leinster-heavy British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia last year with many putting the Irish club’s indifferent performances down to the fatigue of the players who have taken a while to hit top form.
“With almost his entire team selected on last year’s Lions tour, the first three-quarters of this season have been more than difficult for Cullen to manage,” Williams continued.
“As the business end of the season approaches, a string of top internationals who have been absent with injury or national team duties look poised to return. When they return, Leinster will once again be a formidable outfit.”
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Defensive woes
However, the ex-Leinster head coach didn’t pass up an opportunity to take a dig at former Springboks boss Jacques Nienaber, who runs the team’s defence.
Williams predicts that if changes aren’t made to the defensive set-up then Leinster will be exploited by ‘good teams’, like Northampton Saints did last season in the Champions Cup.
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The Saints managed five tries in the semi-final of last season’s tournament, the same tally Leinster managed, to clinch a 37-34 victory. Williams believes that the Irish club is set-up too narrow on defence particularly from set-pieces.
“I hope it is simply a bunch of old guys getting it wrong, but I have not spoken to a single former Leinster player who is not concerned with the club’s defensive system, which is still leaving huge tracts of space out wide unmarked, especially from scrum set plays,” he continued.
“Space that good teams will exploit, as Northampton did in last year’s Champions Cup semi final.”
He also criticised Munster’s defence, writing: “Munster’s season is not yet over, but without a huge change in their passion and desire to tackle, it will be soon.”
