IS AN ELECTRIFYING 80-minute performance against Munster enough to put yourself in the mix for a Heineken Champions Cup final? Jordan Larmour will certainly hope so.
The 24-year-old has endured a deeply frustrating couple of seasons but marked his latest return from injury in some style with an eye-catching performance as Leinster powered to a 35-25 win over Munster at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening, a game which closed out the final round of fixtures in the United Rugby Championship’s regular season.
Leinster will now host Glasgow Warriors in the URC quarter-finals while Munster travel to play Ulster.
Larmour finished an entertaining game with 11 defenders beaten and two clean breaks to his name, along with making 108 meters with ball in hand, but the stats only tell half the story. Few players can match Larmour’s ability to weave his way out of tight situations, and his smart footwork played a key role in two of Leinster’s four tries on the night.
It was a remarkable display given Larmour’s last apperance in blue came all the way back at the beginning of March.
Will his next come in Marseille on Saturday? Leinster head coach Leo Cullen admitted it will be difficult to ignore Larmour’s performance as the province turn their attention to the Heineken Champions Cup final meeting with La Rochelle.
“It was great for him, and very, very pleasing,” Cullen said.
“That’s what we said about guys timing their run at this time of the year. So yeah, there’s plenty for us to think about for sure.”
Larmour’s encouraging display could prove timely as Cullen may have room to change up his matchday squad for Marseille. Ciarán Frawley, who wore the number 23 shirt for the Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulouse, was forced off against Munster following a head knock. Tommy O’Brien – who was number 23 for the quarter-final win against Leicester – is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury.
“He (Frawley) had a cut on his chin as well, so he’s come through his HIA piece but he ran out of time because he was getting his chin stitched,” Cullen explained. “That was the decision that was made there, but he’s come through his HIA already.”
While Leinster had nothing tangible to play for last night – their status as top seeds already guaranteed – Larmour wasn’t the only player to step up against Munster.
Ryan Baird, back in the team for the first time since February, carried hard and was the province’s top tackler (19), Joe McCarthy got through a huge amount of work and Harry Byrne kicked 13 points and pulled the strings well as Leinster delivered an impressive performance against a far more experienced Munster team.
“Right from the start Ryan Baird goes up, gets a hand on it, we get the ball down and it leads to a score inside the first couple of minutes of the game,” Cullen said.
Lots of really good stuff. Munster had their moments as well. One of the most pleasing parts is probably the start of the second half, Munster get that try, the ball goes up in the air and they get the bounce and it was a little bit of fortune, obviously they take the try.
“But the composure of our guys, particularly with some young guys, would they get themselves back into the game? But to be fair, they get a fair bit of control back into the game and produce plenty of moments. The penalty try leads to a yellow card for them and suddenly we’re in the ascendancy, guys coming off the bench made decent impacts as well, so plenty of good stuff I have to say, which is great.”
Now it’s all eyes on that Champions Cup date with La Rochelle, and the French side have their own selection decisions to weigh up after Will Skelton returned from injury in their Top 14 win over Stade Francais yesterday.
Skelton had been expected to miss the rest of the season with a calf injury but came off the bench for the final 14 minutes as Ronan O’Gara’s team recorded an important 32-13 win over Stade to boost their Top 14 play-off hopes.
The powerful second row has tormented Leinster in the past, playing a key role in La Rochelle’s semi-final win over the province last year and also starring for Saracens in the 2019 Champions Cup final.
A massive week lies ahead.
For Munster, their attention now turns to a URC quarter-final trip to Belfast. Johann van Graan described their latest defeat to Leinster as “incredibly disappointing“. His team went into the game knowing a bonus-point win would see them finish second in the table, while victory of any shape would secure a home quarter-final.
“We came here to win. That’s the disappointing thing about tonight,” Van Graan said.
“We gave it our best shot, with what we had to do in the last few minutes to get two (losing bonus) points, but we weren’t good enough to get them.
“Look, they are currently in the European final, they ended first in the URC (league table), so I wouldn’t say it’s anything mental. I think every team in Europe and South Africa are trying to figure out how you beat them, and you’ve also got to give credit.
“Speaking to Leo afterwards, some guys came back, Jordan (Larmour) was excellent at 15, Ryan Baird… They’ve got quality players in their squad and you’ve got to give it to them. Well done.”
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Didn’t see that performance from Larmour coming. He was genuinely unplayable at times yesterday. Might have snagged the 23 Jersey for next week. Different type of player but I was impressed with Haley also. Even with an enlarged squad, there are going to be some very unlucky players missing out on the Summer Tour.
@Cian Nolan: glad to see Larmour return to form, he is too talented to be marginalised the way he has been. His real problem is that while he is an immensely talented player it’s not apparent what is his best position, and how he can get regular gametime there. Obviously as a wing his weaknesses don’t get exposed as much, but also he doesn’t get a chance to showcase his best abilities. And with Lowe and JOB he has dropped down the pecking order. 15 is obviously where he thrives, but he needs to fix the high ball vulnerability and its hard to see how he does that with Keenan now having nailed the 15 shirt.
Would be such a waste if he just became a squad player for Leinster/ Ireland when he has such talent
Ah but ROG said on OTB that Skelton had no chance of playing this weekend. Couldnt believe a word that man says. Hope we thump them
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: to be fair, he said he’d told Will he’d see him at pre season and will said otherwise.
@Niall Mulligan: I know but he seemed adamant that he wouldnt play on Saturday. Bare in mind that he gave that interview on Friday morning. Skelton will definitely start next week now
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: a lot been made of Skelton – he had a brilliant game last year but Leinster handled him when he was at sarries. It was the sarries front row which destroyed Leinster. Leinster have improved this year, sexto and jpg fit this year. We’ll miss furlong if not fot However porter & Kelleher are better players. The emergence of Sheehan is a big bonus. Plenty of the Leinster pack are playing very well. Leinster to win
Larmour might make the NZ tour if he keeps that up. It’s hard to see him get in for any of the current back 3 for Leinster but hopefully he gets more game time to prove himself. Love to see him in 15 and Lowry in 10 against Maori. Hugo has that shirt nailed on for the ABs I’d say. He is just too good at the moment.
@Ron: Good to see Larmour back and playing like that. Lowry got a bang to the face against the Sharks which looked nasty enough to potentially scupper his chances of a trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud.
@Ron: Lowry at 10, against the Maoris?… people are mad.
@thesaltyurchin: Lowry apparently has a broken cheek bone. No Summer tour for Mikey.
@Trevor Johnston: Shame, he’s potentially a world class fullback.
@Ron: He’ll 100% be on the NZ tour
Very hard balancing act for Leinster and Ireland to weigh up for Larmour. Seems to be far more influential and effective when given the time and space at 15 and his unique selling points diminished on the wing.But the reason he was shunted to the wing was due to the high-ball frailties which were there to see yesterday also. Even if he managed to correct them Keenan is right up there with the best 15 in the world now and is untouchable. A loan to Connacht to replace O’Halloran could be the move for Larmour to hone in those high-ball skills in the Atlantic conditions. Would still want him back at Leinster – too good to not have in the long-term future.
Larmour was playing like a man possessed yesterday. Hope Frawley isn’t too badly injured though. Both could be vying for that number 23 jersey.
Great to see larmour back in form , hes one of best attacking 15s in Europe. Keenan is undroppable at present as his positioning and aerial ability are always on spot on . Larmour deserves more chances in blue . Hope he can stay injury free and get on the plane to nz .
Fair play to larmour and the leinster u-14s. Won the game with ease and I’d say had another gear or 2 if needed. Possibly the second best team in the country. Larmour was unplayable yesterday. 15 seems to be his position, still would start keenan ahead of him.
Anyone got info on furlong and wheather he will make next week? Does the fact healy covered T.H yesterday point to real concern that T.F won’t make it?
Love the way that O Gara is trying to use the Irish press to try to throw off Leinster about Skelton….cute hoorism at its best
@Davedental: he’s a coach in a media role, it’s hard to get much out of his pieces on OTB. There’s a few nuggets of info but as he’s currently in a coaching role his hands are tied really on what he can divulge, and so all he’s left with on comments about the final is playing mind games and hoping the Leinster coaches are listening, but he knows himself they won’t bite, they certainly won’t be thrown off anything. Anyway, Aldritt is by far the bigger threat this year
Larmour could be the guy to get the big La Rochelle pack moving around next week in the last quarter when legs start to fade, that being said Frawley can do a job at 10 and 12 so might be the better option, assuming of course he’s fit.
Skelton will not be the fittest, just back. Leinster will likely run him around, tiring him quickly.
I wouldn’t be worried about Skelton being back whatsoever. Toulouse had Emmanuel Meafou who’s actually heavier than Will Skelton and besides making one big hit on Caelan Doris he did absolutely nothing all day against Leinster except give penalties away.