The News Review:
- Inconsistent Leinster face injury crisis
- Cipriani will bounce back says former coach
- Munster face tricky trip to Wales
Inconsistent Leinster face injury crisis
Irish Timesnbsp;Irelandnbsp;
Leinster who meet the Dragons in the RDS on Saturday go into the match on the back of three Magners League defeats that has left them mid-table in fifth position. While welcoming back their international players following the autumn Tests Leinster may also face something of an injury crisis with the Heineken Cup third round just over a week away. Their form in the two competitions is somewhat inconsistent. While losing the last three league games to Munster Connacht and Warriors the side have been more than convincing in the Heineken Cup with bonus points wins against London Wasps at home and away to bogey side Edinburgh. However captain Leo Cullen and centre Gordon D’Arcy are not expected to be available until the New Year. Cullen has had a shoulder operation while D’Arcy has had a number of setbacks with his badly broken forearm.
Cipriani will bounce back says former coach
Your Local Guardiannbsp;UKnbsp;
He recognises when he makes mistakes and works hard to put them right. You often learn more from making mistakes and this experience will make him stronger? he said. ?International rugby is a lot faster and the margins for error are a lot smaller than in the Premiership and Heineken Cup. ?I remember Jonny Wilkinson having a particularly difficult start to his England career but look at what he went on to achieve. ?The flipside of that is what happened to Tait and the length of time it took him to recover. That is the danger. ?Danny has been hyped up as a world class performer and after a while you start believing what you read.
Munster face tricky trip to Wales
Limerick Leadernbsp;Irelandnbsp;
The importance of this forthcoming clash with the Scarlets will be dwarfed by the significance of the game against Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Marcel Michelin on December 7 in the Heineken Cup but with the Munster coaching staff determined to make a big impression on this season’s Magners League they will be eager to get something out of the trip to Wales. Munster will not commit themselves to Magners League action again until they face Connacht at the Sportsground on December 28 with another game against Clermont at Thomond Park occupying the Munster men on December 13. Since the inauguration of the Magners League and the Heineken Cup Munster have faced the Scarlets on 16 occasions winning ten times and losing six. And while that winning record appears impressive Munster’s record against Llanelli in Wales is not. The province has only managed to win there three times. Prior to this weekend Munster and Llanelli have clashed on eight occasions at Stradey Park with the Welsh side winning five times and most impressively in the 2007 Heineken Cup quarter-final 24-15. Munster redressed that balance last season however beating Llanelli 29-16 in the Heineken Cup and 24-23 in the Magners League at the 129-year-old Stradey Park.
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