Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith explains how Leinster’s Jacques Nienaber-driven defence kept his attack-minded team scoreless.
Leinster ran in eight tries in their 52-0 thrashing of the reigning Vodacom URC champions in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final in Dublin last weekend.
However, the Irish club’s defensive effort was arguably more impressive than what they did with ball in hand.
Glasgow have scored the most tries in this season’s URC – 63 in 14 matches at an average of 4.5 – yet could not find a way through Leinster’s defence on the day.
Leinster, who had hammered Harlequins 62-0 in Dublin the week before, have conceded just seven tries in six Champions Cup matches this season and just 27 in 14 URC games (average of 1.9).
In a lengthy interview with News24, Smith was asked what it’s like coming up against a seemingly impenetrable defence like Leinster’s.
“The application of their linespeed and the quality of the individuals doing that makes a big difference,” he explained.
“With rush defence, press defence … linespeed is a word that is used so often, but it’s one thing to do it recklessly and without control with a club or junior player.
“It’s a completely different thing when experienced international players do it and have control over their bodies, control of the connections between them.
“So, the application and motivation make that system work and we know how well Jacques has motivated the South Africans in the past and how well-motivated these guys were for the game against us.
“If you get Jordie Barrett with 85 Tests from New Zealand up against you, he will execute better. But there are other ways to create pressure on the opposition. They dominated the first 15 minutes by putting us under pressure not just defensively but also by attacking us.
“So, it’s the quality of the execution and application of the skill that makes it so much more difficult. Five or six youngsters might not be able to repeat that linespeed and energy the whole time, so you might find joy somewhere as the game progresses.
“But they are just so clinical, which means they are a very well-drilled and highly motivated team with the individuals to execute very well.”
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Smith said Leinster’s dominance had been years in the making.
“We should put a little perspective around this. Leinster have been developing a strong squad for the last eight to 10 years, it’s not something that’s happened overnight. They’ve been burning the candle both ways in the URC and the Champions Trophy and know what it takes to do that.
“I had a quick chat with Jacques after the game; we all know that they haven’t won the URC because of that effort to burn the candle both ways in the last few years. There’s a big investment that has gone into preparing that squad for that challenge.
“You almost have to have 30 internationals in your squad, which they almost do. They cover for their lack of Irish internationals with All Blacks like Barrett and Springboks like RG Snyman, so their financial output is completely different to the rest of us.
“Running Harlequins down 62-0 the week before us and doing that to the guys who are second behind them in their own competition means they’ve got something special.
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“The fact that their second group of players have played so much rugby in the URC that they are arguably one of the top four teams in the competition means that their squad depth is second to none. I’m not criticising them for that, I’m complimenting them; that’s a 10-year vision.
“It’s an example for us, a point of reference because they are three or four years ahead of where we, at least, should be. It’s a template for a lot of clubs to follow.”
Photo: Brendan Moran/Getty Images
