TALKING POINT: Even Leinster struggle competing across two fronts

That was Gloucester coach George Skivington after he was being criticised on some fronts for selecting an understrength team for his team’s recent Gallagher Premiership clash with Northampton Saints at Franklin Gardens. The Hollywoodbets Sharks’ opponents in Friday night’s EPCR Challenge Cup final in London fielded a fledgling side and lost 90-0, causing intense embarrassment for their supporters.

At the halfway mark of last season’s URC the Stormers had fielded more players, or put another way had made more changes than any other team in the competition. And Dobson was boastful about it. The Stormers coach also admitted after his team exited that season’s Champions Cup at the quarterfinal stage against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park that his URC challenge would have been compromised had his men got through to the semifinal stage.

The Irish province is honest too about not committing the same resources across two fronts. After their high of beating La Rochelle in the most recent Champions Cup quarterfinal in Dublin, Leinster came to South Africa with several of their frontline players left behind to rest in preparation for the semifinal.

Most of their star players were missing when they lost a thrilling derby against Ulster in Belfast. The result has effectively cost Leinster the chance of finishing top of the URC log, or at the very least they have to rely on other teams to get them there. Leinster weren’t travelling over the last fortnight so the travel factor can’t be reckoned in as an excuse.

By the end of the second half, when Benetton came back to win, the side was very different to the one that started. Then this past weekend, a week out from the Challenge Cup decider, Plumtree went with a complete second string, or even in some areas third string, combination. Clearly the Durban rugby faithful understood the policy, and did not turn on their coach like some Gloucester fans did on Skivington, because there was a decent crowd at what was effectively a nothing game against Cardiff.

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