Tony McGahan has held his faith in the starting 15 and has named an unchanged side for his side’s second Heineken Cup clash with Perpignan in as many weeks. STADE AIME GIRAL is the official name of the Perpignan rugby club’s stadium. To the locals however it is known as, “The Bear pit”. Munster enter the ‘Bear pit’ this Sunday at 3pm when they take on USA Perpignan for the second time in just over a week. The 24-23 victory for Munster in week three of the pools could not have been any closer.
Twenty four points from Ronan O Gara ensured that Munster’s chances of qualifying from Pool one are still very much alive.
With an away trip to Treviso and a home tie against Northampton left for Munster this season, Sunday’s game takes on massive importance. Should the red army defeat the home side, the French Top 14 champions would be out of the group stages. A third loss for Perpignan would almost certainly set up a winner takes all clash with Northampton at Thomond Park, for Mc Gahan’s men.
The game last Friday night can be used as a barometer for this weekend’s action. Granted the three Perpignan tries were more about Musnter errors than Perpignan guile, but it does show that any slight mistakes by Munster will be punished. The history of the Heineken Cup tells us one thing about French clubs. They are incredibly hard to beat at home. Perpignan are unbeaten in 16 European games at their current venue. Some even call it, the Thomond Park of France. The trip this weekend will be an explosive affair. The French never like to lose and they also love to play some attractive rugby on their home ground. Munster did win last weekend, but the performance will have to be upped to even contain the marauding French giants.
Denis Leamy, who made his debut in Perpignan some six years ago, knows exactly what to expect. “The atmosphere down there is unreal. It is close in and tight. The 17,500 fans are fanatical and they know their rugby. It is very much like the old Thomond Park. I made my debut there and we lost. I think the score was 23-8 and it was, in my opinion anyway, the only real time that Munster have been truly beaten. It is going to be about nine or 10 levels harder than the first game. We know what we have to do now and we have to try and achieve a performance that we have not gotten yet this season”.
The game itself this weekend will be won, once more, in the forwards. The Munster scrum last Friday night was as good as it has been for some time. The breakdown however was not perfect. The quality of ball to the backline was not quick enough. This was proven by the fact that Munster’s backline did it’s best work in defence. The Munster team showed some changes last week, however, more may be needed. With Jerry Flannery ruled out for a number of weeks, (achilles) the hooker spot is now wide open. Fogarty started last week but was replaced by Varley. Both men are not up to Flannery’s level yet and line out throwing would have to improve for both players to nail down the two jersey. Another jersey up for grabs has to the number nine. Tomas O Leary’s form has never reached the heights of last season. A new found obsession with taking the ball laterally across the pitch has starved those outside him of quick ball. The first centre spot is debatable too. Mafi and De Villiers will be pushing hard for this spot. Mafi, who is becoming a little predictable, is struggling to make the line breaks he was once a banker for. With people like De Villiers, Dowling, Ronan, Varley, Buckley and Ryan in the mix, the squad system should be deployed more. Perpignan will be looking for a repeat of last line up. Why not catch them cold with a few new faces. It could work.
