Leinster lions eclipse Farrell's Lions - astonishing role reversal at Croke Park

Irish Daily Mirror

9 hours ago

Leinster's own lions were sensational, reducing Farrell's Lions to the accompanying support act.
How else to judge the URC Grand Final performances of TV's Man of the Match Ryan Baird, the common-man's player of the match Thomas Clarkson, the step-up hero for the day Luke McGrath and All Black Jordie Barrett.
The blindside and tight-head were surrounded by six Lions tourists in the pack; the scrum-half wasn't even in the original team selection and the first-centre gilded the day with a try that will be remembered for a long time to come.
A four-star constellation producing five-star worthy displays, instrumental in bringing the Bulls house crashing down around their ears.
Sure, the British & Irish Lions guys got on with the day-job, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Garry Ringrose doing well but...
It begs the question being posed and that needs to be looked at again, have too many of the big-time Central Contracted players, 'Club Ireland', lost provincial focus, are they struggling with the small-time.
Not so for T.C who really was Top Cat and a performance that will have resonated with every soul who has ever stepped on a rugby pitch, the very embodiment of the idea the tight-head is the most important player on a Rugby Union team.
Clarkson's gaining a scrum penalty after four minutes electrically-charged his side, winning a second soon after meant Leinster knew this was their day.
Alongside him in the fast lane Lucky Luke, benefitting from ‌Leinster's best kept secret last week - although finally decoded by the Star/Mirror and posted online as an exclusive early on Saturday morning - that Jamison Gibson-Park was injured.
While his first-half box-kick/chip ahead was the catalyst for a piece of try-scoring magical improv from the All Black.
"T.C.'s physicality, his set-piece work, is really what got us into that game because the Bulls obviously came with their plan to disrupt our set-piece," said front-row colleague Sheehan.
"That was one of the biggest focuses this week in the face of people doubting whether we could deal with it and we kind of said, scrap that, and we'll put our own spin on it, make sure that our set-piece was a weapon and they'll have to deal with ours.
"I thought T.C. in particular, was unbelievable (helps if you start to sing-along 'Top Cat, the most effectual Top Cat, who's intellectual close friends get to call him T.C....') in stopping that and also enforcing our set-piece on them.
"He got a bit of experience in the international jersey this year but I think his best rugby has definitely been played in these last few weeks, he's been absolutely unbelievable."
McGrath's is a tale to be told too, jettisoned by Andy Farrell immediately following the 2019 Rugby World Cup, he remains not so much out in the cold but Arctic when it comes to getting another chance under the Yorkshireman's reign.
Indeed, the scrum-half went from being number two internationally to Conor Murray and one of only two no9's Joe Schmidt brought to Japan for RWC 2019 to being no2 provincially to Jamison Gibson-Park (as per Farrell's wishes) in a matter of weeks.
The Dubliner had shown signs of his best form in the latter half of this season but Saturday's display against Bulls, on the big day, when it was needed, was brilliant.
Sheehan adds: "Luke does all the dirty work for us as a no9 and he's probably the most physical player while being the smallest player on the pitch.
"He's also a person that is a sort of cornerstone of Leinster rugby at the minute and someone we all look up to. He puts his body on the line more so than anyone else in the team.
Luke gives us a great sort of 'in' to the game, especially defensively and on a rainy day like that. It was massive that he got a good start and he gets a good few shots in there and he's just everywhere in the pitch.
"You feel that energy off of people like that, you see him flying into collisions and it just makes you want to sort of fly into them too, so definitely a superstar today."
Bulls coach Jake White went as far as to admit his heart sank when Bulls were mashed in the first scrum after just four minutes - he suspected all was lost already.
Indeed there is a photo to be treasured of McGrath and Clarkson - not any of eight Lions or the other internationals with far greater reputations/profiles - who had the top table for the aftermatch media call.
Clarkson wasn't for hiding from his match ambition either: "The scrum was going to be the biggest battle of the day, the stuff around the park was going to come after.
"If the scrum wasn't sorted it was going to give them a way into the game I couldn't let them have that. So I also gave away two penalties (both of which were hotly disputed by Sheehan and skipper Jack Conan) in the first-half but I was still happy with how it went."
While McGrath revealed he had been alerted he might be starting on Thursday night and spoke of Barrett's vision ahead of the second try: "Jordie had said it earlier that it could be on and had said 'So listen for me with the call...'.
"But when he said it, he was quite late, and after I'd put the ball through I was just hoping he would get to it. I was happy when he got there."
Skipper Conan has been around the block, three Lions 2021 Tests at no8 and heading for Australia 2025 but there may well be recourse to think of Clarkson in Georgia and Portugal hoping to make a second Ireland start and McGrath who isn't traveling anywhere this summer.
"You come up against the Bulls renowned for their scrummaging set piece and Tommy's (again, keep humming: 'Top Cat, the indisputable leader of the gang, he's the boss, he's the pip, he's the championship...) performance was fantastic.
"He's grown immensely throughout the season, given a great account of himself, and you see the just rewards for what he's done, getting capped by Ireland, everything else.
"Delighted for Lukey, obviously we lose Jamo and we've got someone who has 220-odd Leinster caps to come in. He was absolutely fantastic, controlled the game, he's incredibly physical, it's like having another back-row out there.
"Myself and Lukey started together at Leinster U16s in Terenure longer ago that I'd like to admit and we've been very close for a long time. He performed unbelievably well.
"Delighted for the two boys, it shows the strength of Leinster that there are two lads to come in that are ready to perform the way they did, testament to them for their mentality and getting across their bits today."
What a day, redemption for Leinster and a first trophy for four years.
But, don't forget, with Clarkson deputising for Furlong, Baird in because Doris is injured, McGrath stepping in for late withdrawal Gibson-Park and Barrett starting because Henshaw is unavailable, the fanfare is more for the common man than the masters of the universe...
("Yes, he's the chief, he's the king, but above everything he is the most tip top, Top Cat...!)