LEINSTER HEAD COACH Matt O’Connor insists his side are better than their first half display demonstrated as his side cruised to a 29-8 win.
Luke Fitzgerald was a rare shining light and capped off his man of the match performance with a try.
With the winger among a number of internationals returning from Ireland camp without having trained, there were difficulties around the park and his team will have to learn quickly from what O’Connor described as the “misguided effort” with a trip to the Ospreys to come next week.
“Lukey (Fitzgerald) is doing well, but again the combinations in the midfield; the two nines haven’t been with us for a couple of weeks. There was rustiness in that. Cian (Healy) was reintroducing himself to the players around him.
“There is a lot of things that we can be better at. The learning will be steep but it has to happen by next Friday.”
Zebre led 8-3 at the break despite replacing both their starting and replacement out-half. It was a first half which saw a Jimmy Gopperth missed penalty and a knock-on metres from the Zebre line among the missed opportunities.
“It was disappointing. We had several opportunities to score in the first half that we didn’t take that kept them in the contest and kept them semi-interested. The second-half performance was a little better but there were a lot of errors that played into their hands and their ability to slow the game down and take away the tempo.
“The five day turnaround, blokes not training, changes the dynamic slightly. They came to slow it down and play as little rugby as possible and not have the ball on the field. That was helped by us making errors. When you have that many stoppages, it is hard to get any momentum. We will dust ourselves off.”
Fergus McFadden, Dave Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald didn’t play any part in the opening two Six Nations game for Ireland. And despite failing to show what has been come to be expected of them at this level, O’Connor says an injury could propel them into contention with Ireland.
“Ferg, Luke and Dave are very, very close to being in the mix and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are injuries over the next couple of weeks with Ireland, that those blokes will be playing. Dave played all the games last year, was outstanding in the Six Nations.
“Luke has shown with us at 13 and out on the wing that he’s capable and Ferg was in that 23 a lot. They’re test standard players and they will be in the mix pretty soon.”
Hope so tipp are the only county that have no fear off kk.
If Tipp had no fear of Kilkenny I honestly think that they would have beating them more over the last few years,in 09 they panicked and got a red card,10 everything went right for them,11 they just didn’t turn up,12 they catastrophic collapse in the 2nd half,13 they somehow lost against a badly patched up KK team that was missing half and the other half were playing with injuries and then in 2014 they just couldn’t win even though it was probably the best 1-15 team performance of modern times.They all played UNREAL that day! And then this year it was like a false dawn for them.I’m a Kilkenny fan and Im not being biast but I really question that attitude.I have seen all their shortcomings in the last few years,I think that when push comes to shove that they lack something…….. I don’t know what,but Iv seen enough to have a hunch that I would question them rather than saying Kilkenny are just a great team.And this is coming from a Kilkenny man!
Absolute spot on analysis from you Ionatan with a fada ,Tipp do have the leaders in the team when it counts.
Do not not not not
I realise his commitments mean he is a busy but personally I’d love to Eamon O Shea appointed to a Director of Hurling type roll within the game, whatever your view on his successes or failure’s with, any true hurling person will have to agree that his brand of hurling and philosophy on the game is exactly where the sport should be moving. How many of the genuine hurling classics over last 6 years are down to his attacking free flowing style of hurling. Would love to see it implemented across the hurling landscape…
Hurling has always been attacking and free flowing! there was very few classics last year but overall its always been a fast paced game you cant attribute that to oshea
If they have as much success in the next 10 years as they did with O’Shea as manager it won’t be a good legacy will it!!!
@ OneDay
Does your anus ever get jealous of the sh!+ that flows from your mouth
Another article another negative comment
Negative but true. One Munster title in 3 years for a top team like Tipp is pathetic.
Brian Cody has left a legacy, forget the rest. Winning All Ireland’s is the only stat that counts. Fanning and Tipp may forget the talk of legacys and past managers as currently Tipp’s time is passing them by.
Spot on! One All Ireland from the team that was going to do a 5 in a row! Truly dreadful.
But it’s 5 titles in 8 yrs, it depends what slant you put on it OneDay, it’s your negative comments towards any other county bar Kilkenny that is pathetic
It’s one Munster title in 3 years with O’Shea as manager. There is no other slant to put on it.
All other hurling teams are rubbish. Kilkenny are the only team who are enjoyable to watch.
So OneDay I’ll ask you once again, are you a liar or just someone who jumps on the bandwagon, as you have already said you neither come from or live in kilkenny. Simple question asked, simple answer required.
No
Hon the mines, we have a shit record , 5 al Ireland’s in the last 45 years , jasus even Clare have won 3 and lads are talking about legacies , tipp hurling is a joke , all the talk after 2010 senior and 21 wins , ya tipp will be around for a long time , take a look at what has happened since = jack shit
Let’s be honest at the start of summer it’s an all ireland the big teams want not a provincial championship
“One day Frank from killkenny” is still telling porkies, poor chap has such bitterness and is so far up his own hole he is lost in in his own shite.
Some legacy lost lost lost !!
Where did ya get that from gary?
10 years of failure
Scholars full a scutter like the auld lad.
I see you don’t have the balls to show your face either , great lad hiding behind this site , a coward
Mike Meara from Toom won a lot for tipp didn’t he declan.
A lot more that you did you piece of shit
Hon the mines , I wonder who is in there let have a guess, Sean Q is that you?