Derby performance can have a real effect on the standing of players within the wider Irish rugby community. Pundits love the trial narrative as they get a build up column with just a list of players and a follow up column with just a list of players, and maybe another with an interview with an underdog at the best possible time.joooooe wrote: ↑January 21st, 2021, 10:45 amI see the narrative has moved on in the 4 weeks of deferment. It's now all about a pre-6 Nations trial match like those of "of yore" (h/t @AssuredlyGerry), while at the same time a lot of inches/air time is being devoted to the fact that a win would be "momentous" for Munster (thank you, Murray K). Oddly, nobody is talking about what a win for Leinster might mean.joooooe wrote: ↑December 22nd, 2020, 10:01 am 2017: Narrative: Leinster disrespecting the fixture by sending a team of kids to be slaughtered at Thomond Park. The likes of Jordan Larmour, Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park and James Ryan (who all played that day) were clearly not ready but within a few months had all played for Ireland, many winning a Grand Slam. Result: Leinster win. Go figure.
2018: Narrative: Leinster finally respecting the sanctity of the holy turf of Athenry Thomond Park by sending a “full strength team” (it was far from full strength by any meaningful measure apart from the one metric that if Johnny Sexton is playing then certain elements of the rugby media in Ireland deem that to mean “full strength”). Munster of course won that day, in case you hadn't heard. There is a commemorative DVD and bed spread of Fineen Wycherly hitting Johnny Sexton on the ground. And James Lowe's hit in the air on Andrew Conway was so late it still hasn't actually happened. Result: Munster win. Hadn't you heard?
(By the way, the Venn diagram of those who felt Leinster disrespected the fixture in 2017 and those who still use the 2018 fixture as a reference point to mark either a) the beginning of the end of Irish rugby, and/or b) the beginning of the re-birth of Munster rugby, is a circle.)
2019: Narrative: Leinster disrespect the heavenly shrine by sending a team of players nobody has ever heard of to play a game for men/Gods against Lijinds and warriors in a county now into its 15th month of celebrating a hurling all Ireland title. Who has ever even heard of Hugo Keenan, Will Connors, or Caelan Doris (who all played that day)?... or perhaps one team views the absence of internationals as a disrespectful abomination while the other uses it as an opportunity to prepare future internationals? Result: Leinster win (so the lads in the Venn diagram above had to STFU).
2020: Narrative: I see we're back to disrespecting the holiest of holy, the graciest of goddy, the most lijindree of lijindree, the stand-upiest and fightiest patch of turf that God did ever bestow on the people of Limerick (who are now a bit confused as they have had to say the same about the Gaelic Grounds since all that they mine there is Silver and Gold in the shape of the Liam McCarthy Cup and the Dr Croke Cup). Leinster might actually send a pretty strong team, but the fact that Johnny "his family is from Kirrie anyway" Sexton will not be playing means it must be a team of children being thrown into the Thomond Park Coliseum. To the uninitiated (i.e. the Venn diagram lads above) they will just have to wait until the 6 Nations to understand that Scott Penny, Ciarán Frawley, Tommy O'Brien, Conor O'Brien, Jimmy O'Brien, Dan Sheehan, Tom Clarkson and this NKOTB Dave Kearney are actually not too bad (though maybe not quite the standard of Semi Radradra/Darren Sweetnam). Result: let's see.
Bring it on. Don't buy into the narrative. Win, lose or draw, Leinster will learn from the fixture and know that a non-conference league game 8 games into the season is not the one to peak for. Enjoy yizzer turkey sangijes and scream at the TV like you're in the Laighin Pit on a sunny May afternoon.
As someone noted above, Munster are due a win in this fixture and are in reasonable form. However, I saw someone reference the 2018 "Johnny Sexton meltdown" elsewhere, which means those in certain quarters (the one in the South-West) still cling to a victory in a regular-season out-of-conference league game from 2 years ago like the fella walking out of the diner in Springsteen's Glory Days. Meanwhile, others can reference the more tangible trappings of success, i.e. finals and trophies. Lord help us if they win this weekend as they could dine out on it for another 2 years (or more).
It really only has an effect for Munster and Connacht when they play Leinster. A win for Leinster doesn’t mean anything as all those players are presumed to have the full attention of national team management anyway.
This is calendar filler due to cancellations, but under the circumstances you can understand why it gets hyped, and none of the derbies are ever small.
