RUGBY:THINGS ARE perhaps never quite as they seem, but in the immediate aftermath of Leinster's relatively emphatic storming of Munster's Thomond Park citadel on Saturday night, this pair of two-time Heineken Cup winners return to European fare next weekend in contrasting fashions.

Leinster look to be spoilt for choice with an embarrassment of riches, whereas Munster will be desperate to restore Paul O’Connell, Donnacha Ryan and Conor Murray from injury for an even more seismic Irish derby against Ulster next Sunday.

Indeed, about the only positive Munster could extract from their 18-9 defeat was the eight-day turnaround before hosting Ulster.

At least both sides emerged without any serious battle scars, with a groggy looking Keith Earls sustaining sore ribs, while Jonathan Sexton departed with calf muscle cramp.

“Jonny wasn’t too happy to come off,” smiled Joe Schmidt, “but he’ll be good for next week”.

Furthermore, Brian O’Driscoll came through his first full 80 of the season with his province, while Jamie Heaslip and Gordon D’Arcy were pointedly used as ball carriers to facilitate their post-Six Nations rejuvenation.

“I was really happy with both of them. I’m sure Jamie will remind you that he’s unbeaten as Leinster captain,” said Schmidt.

“He does a great job as leader, in that he says very little and does a fair bit for the cause and I don’t think there were too many collisions that Gordon D’Arcy didn’t win tonight. His footwork and strength in contact and ability to fight forward was really beneficial for us. They (Munster) are so strong in their choke tackle and they didn’t get a choke on us tonight.”

For Schmidt, this was a first win at Thomond Park in five attempts.

“I’ve come here with Clermont a couple of times and gone home with my tail between my legs, and we got beaten twice here last year,” he admitted with a rueful smile. “I’d sympathise a little bit with Tony (McGahan). He had a few guys out today and we were bringing experience off the bench, and I think that experience allowed us to dominate the last 20.”

By their own standards, this latest meeting was no classic, with the constant collapsed and reset scrums a blight on the game.

“C’mon ref, I’m getting frustrated,” shouted one young voice, and he was not alone, with Nigel Owens eventually sinbinning both Marcus Horan and Mike Ross in the 44th minute.

Without actually naming names, Schmidt was fairly explicit in pointing the finger of blame.

“One of the clear edicts about scrummaging is that you keep your shoulders above your hips. As soon as you hinge down from your hips it is impossible to stay up.

“That was a concern we expressed before the game and it was a concern that was evident through the first 45 minutes. It was pretty easy to see that when Wian du Preez came on I don’t think any scrums went down. So I think you can work that out.”

Whereas Schmidt’s “headache” concerns a difficult selection, McGahan conceded his team were “second best in all areas” and would need significant improvement next week.

Asked what he was encouraged by, McGahan said: “Not too much to be honest.

“We’ve got a lot to work on. It certainly gives us a real call to attention about where we are. We spoke about that.

“From here on in, starting from next week, there are no second chances. We really need to get that realisation very, very quickly and heed the enormity of where we’re at.”

Rustiness apart, Munster will gladly welcome back their aforementioned trio of Six Nations casualties, though how they’d love the ballast of David Wallace, who is clearly still on the mend from his knee operation.

“He’s making a slow comeback with 20 and 40 (minutes) last week and we’re monitoring his progress.”

Unlike last season, Munster have shown an ability to up their performances for Europe (they lost before rounds three and five as well) and there are now in familiar backs-to-the-wall territory. “It’s not a perfect way to go into next weekend,” said McGahan. “But we have huge respect for Ulster and where they’ve come from and where they are at this point in time. They’re certainly the real deal and they’ll come here with a lot of confidence.”

Unlike last Saturday’s latest instalment of a more established rivalry, as McGahan noted there will also be a certain freshness about a full-on Munster-Ulster collision. “The interesting factor is that both sides really haven’t played each other at full strength for a long period of time, so we may not have as much familiarity as we do with Leinster.”

Whereas in the league Leinster have now effectively vanished over the horizon, Munster have been submerged in the chasing peleton.

“That’s the nature of the competition, it’s very even, and it certainly puts us in a real scrap to get through with three really difficult games against Glasgow, Scarlets and Ulster.

“We certainly have it all to do, but next week is where it’s at. Our league form has been inconsistent, but, from a Heineken Cup perspective, it will be all hands to the wheel next week.”

Never a truer word.