Silence rolls through the stadium as Gopperth looms over the ball. The odd roar rings out over the stands, followed by an angry 'shush'. It's over. Cheers explode from the crowd as Leinster secure a home victory against Castres Olympique, 19 - 7.Although Leinster won, they just don't have the same strength that they used to. Captained by Jamie Heaslip, the squad lacked the ability to break through the solid defence line built by Castres, a tactic perfected by Leinster in the past. Also, a huge amount of ball was played in the air, much to the frustration of the crowd.
In saying this, the individual players themselves performed with brilliant skill, but there was an obvious absence of unity among them. Sean O'Brian managed to turn over a considerable amount of ball, Jimmy Gopperth kicked 14 points, Cian Healy dominated the scrum along with the forwards, they won penalties on numerous occasions. The main feat of the day was when Jack McGrath scored his first Heineken Cup try.
There was a huge focus on Leinsters lengthly injury list, with the likes of O'Driscoll, Cullen, Jennings, Strauss, Tuqiri and Mike Ross dominating the concerns. Leinster have also lost a number of vital players in the past few months, figures such as Jonny Sexton and Isa Nacewa.
Although I understand there is no 'I' in team, those legendary players definitely unite the pack and give them that drive for winning. On 26th October, the squad face Connacht. Leinster have the ability to win, their sheer skill and bullish ability create a squad with a force to be reckoned with.
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