MUNSTER rugby faces into a massive weekend as their senior side takes on Leinster in the Magners League Semi final, while their ‘A’ side takes on Cornish Pirates in the inaugural British and Irish Cup final.
A bonus point loss last weekend for Munster in Cardiff has set up the third meeting of the year between the old rivals.
Leinster finished top of the Magners league, while Munster, with nine wins and nine losses scraped into the top four by virtue of that bonus point against the Blues.
Heading into the Leinster game Coach Tony Mc Gahan is still without the services of Paul O Connell, who this week was in hospital to facilitate the application of antibiotics for an infection related to his groin injury. Munster are also missing Ian Dowling and Mick O Driscoll, while Jerry Flannery, Keith Earls and Doug Howlett are all doubts.
With the last three ties against Leinster being losses and with three losses on the bounce in the season, Munster are struggling for form and for consistency. Coach Mc Gahan however, is not unduly worried. “We have not shied away from the fact that we have had an inconsistences season. We have had some good days and not so good days. The frustrating thing for us is that it has not been one thing at a time. It has been everything at different times. However we are in a semi final of the Magners league and we reached the Heineken Cup semi so it is good to still have something to play for this season. The real goal for us is to finish the season with silverware and we can go one step closer to that this weekend. To have a semi final away in Dublin against Leinster, after the performance of last week, we have plenty to be pleased about”
Munster hooker Damien Varley echoed those sentiments, “The last few weeks have been bitterly disappointing. To lose in the Biarritz game was really hard to get over and last week especially, was very tough. Things didn’t go our way and in the professional era you just have to prepare yourself for what is to come next. Last week against Cardiff was pure cup rugby and that is something we thrive on. We didn’t get the win but we did give ourselves another chance this weekend against Leinster in the semi final”
Looking forward to the game itself, Mc Gahan was excited about the prospect. “It was well documented that on week five of the tournament in the RDS where we were in the season. We had a very disrupted beginning to the season. In saying that, we had absolutely no excuses to go down the way we did to nil. Down here, 16-15, was just a bounce of a ball game. I think the kicking game is going to be massive at the weekend. The other thing we need to combat is Leinster’s physicality. They are huge side who have a great defence”
With no squads named at the time of going to press, both management teams will be short on time to prepare. The ‘A’ side, coached by Anthony Foley and Ian Costello are the only unbeaten team in the B&I cup and the final away to the Pirates is a chance for the developing players to win something. Having only conceded three tries so far, the ‘Mini Reds’ will be favourites for the live game on Sky on Sunday afternoon.
As for the Senior side. With three defeats in a row, normally Munster would be expected to bounce back, but this is Leinster and they have the Indian sign over the Reds at present. Viewer discretion may well be advised. It isn’t going to be pretty. Yet it will be epic.
