Peerless Pienaar kicks Ulster all the way to Twickenham

The neutral may well be rooting for Brian and the Leinster boys come Heineken final day, if the semi final displays give us any clues as to the likely entertainment factor. Despite the fact that Ulster will be travelling across the Irish Sea as underdogs, the average rugby fan will probably feel that Heaslip, Sexton, and  O’Driscoll  offer rather more pazzazz than an Ulster side built around Wannenburg, Muller and Pienaar. As in 1999, when they won this competition, they have a grinding, remorseless pack of forwards allied to a strong kicking game. Like Saracens, they have chosen to import some hard nosed Boks into the set up to play the physical, territorial game that wins the tight matches. All this has been a carefully considered strategy. Not many internationals here to distract the focus, just some key personnel with the experience to handle the big occasions – Best, Wallace from “home”, and the key acquisition of Pienaar to direct the forwards, set the tempo for the backs, and kick goals from just about anywhere. And a look at the Celtic league standings will show that this is a team built for the sharp end of the Heineken Cup.

In short, they are a tough, uncompromising outfit, a nightmare to play against. Brian and the boys will be hoping this wet spell of weather is out of the way to give them a dry track at HQ. But they would be foolish to think that a meeting with Pienaar and his pals will be a warm hearted Irish craic of a day.

Big Phil to fill the Blues gap ?

Cash rich French teams continue to circle over the corpse that is the Cardiff Blues squad, determined to take the opportunity to strip the Grand Old Dame of Welsh club rugby of its juicy morsels. Alex Cuthbert gave a gloriously non committal reply to the inevitable question after his man of the match winning performance against Edinburgh, so we can assume he’s on his velo, too. Bon voyage, and Welsh fans will truly wish him all the best. In such an uncertain world, playing a game that is made up of potentially career ending collisions, we can hardly blame him. But will he get enough game time at a place like Toulon to learn his trade ? Hardly a concern for an old stager like Gethin Jenkins – indeed, careful management of game time is just what a 30+ prop needs – but a young player like Cuthbert needs game time He needs time reading games, needs time (in his case particularly) under the high ball, chasing back, covering kicks.

News that Big Phil Davies, one of the most highly regarded coaches either side of Offa’s Dyke, is in the frame for the vacant Blues job has to be good news for Welsh rugby. Although I don’t share the sense of doom and gloom that accompanies the big money signings, it has to be acknowledged that the National set up needs a strong Regional scene. The success of Gatland and Edwards has to a large extent hinged on the Regions being able to expose young players to a good playing environment.  Big Phil’s reputation may do a great deal to keep the Blues squad looking forward.

With “foreign” stars moving on, the Blues are looking closer home for replacements – Jason Tovey from the Dragons is a sensible piece of business, for example. Money is clearly tight. The move to the Arms Park – yet to be confirmed, but obviously on the cards – would also make sense. The players can’t be happy playing in front of vast empty stands as they are at the City Stadium. They can always return there when the big Heineken games demand it.

The job now is to ensure that the Blues – and the other Welsh regions – get to play those big games often enough.

What will life be like with these Lions ?

Good question, Mr Gatland. I expect you know the core of your side already. Most would expect it to be formed of your own Welsh players, so no surprises...perhaps.

Gatland is no rosey eyed loyalist. The strong foundations he has built in this Welsh squad have been based on a lack of such emotion. Players who failed to perform heard it in no uncertain terms. Ryan Jones, one of the players of the 2012 6 Nations, had to bounce back from being stripped of the captaincy, then seeing that young buck Faletau emerge from relative obscurity to become Wales' bolt on starting No 8. The canny Kiwi coach will also remember some of the Lions lessons of the past. Most painfully, Woodward learned that attempting to reassemble the 2003 WC winners in Lion skins was doomed to failure.

The starting Welsh XV may well form the core of the Gatland Lions pride, but some of those big names will need to look over their shoulders. Can any coach afford to leave such players as Heaslip, Ferris, Best, O'Brien, Sexton and Kearney of Ireland on the touchlines ? Foden, Tuilagi and Croft ?

For what it's worth, at this ridiculously early stage, here goes my Lions starting XV - Jenkins, Best, Jones, Gray, Charteris, Lydiate, Warburton (c), Heaslip, Phillips, Sexton, Roberts, Tuilagi, North, Halfpenny, Kearney.

Croft for Gray, O'Brien for Lydiate, Foden for Kearney, Healy for Jenkins after 60 mins.