MUNSTER face Ulster this Sunday (kick off at 1.45pm) in the quarter final of the Heineken Cup at Thomond Park. Ahead of this weekend’s clash, Munster coach Tony Mc Gahan was able to recall the injured quartet of Conor Murray, Denis Hurley, David Wallace and captain Paul O’Connell to his squad.
The addition of these players is a huge boost to the Munster set up, who are still recovering from their defeat to local rvials Leinster in the Rabodirect game last Saturday night.
“We are really looking forward to this weekend” commented head coach Mc Gahan. “These are the kind of weekend’s that you look forward to. This time last year we were preparing for an Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final against Brive. We have worked hard in the 12 months since to make sure that we are ready for this weekend’s big game against Ulster.”
Ulster will come into the game in the knowledge that it is no longer a miraculous task to win at fortress Thomond Park. Leinster’s win last weekend showed that Munster are vulnerable at set piece time and this is something the northern stars will be targeting.
When asked this week where the game will be won, Mc Gahan was convinced it will be won up front.
“Like all of these tight games, it will not be won with great moves or fancy patterns. It will be won in the contact area. The main focus for us this week has been the breakdown and that is where I think we need to make sure we are ready for Ulster. They are a great side with huge forward power. They have always been a hugely forward orientated side, but this season they have added layers to their game which make them even more dangerous. Ulster will be coming here with no fear of taking us on. We have not played each other in recent years at full strength, so this weekend will be massive”.
Ulster come to Thomond Park having qualified from a tough pool which included Leicester and Clermont. Lead by stars such Rory Best, Stephen Ferris, (although still a doubt), Andrew Trimble and Ruan Pienaar, Ulster are playing some of the best rugby in Europe this season.
With Pienaar able to play at nine and 10, players such as Luke Marshall, off the bench, Paddy Wallace and Ian Humphreys all have the ability to be game breakers. Mc Gahan agrees.
“The Ulster side, with their South African core of players, have a real hardness to them this season. They are playing with real confidence and an unshakable belief. When you add in their experience Irish internationals, you can see why they are such a hard side to face”.
Ulster are brimming with confidence, following a 45-7 win over Aironi last weekend. The same Aironi side that Munster lost out to, 21-17. With last weekend’s disappointing performance fresh in the memory, Munster captain Paul O’Connell has only got eyes for his own side.
“We need to focus on ourselves. Once we start to look too much at an opposition we are liable to take the eye off the ball on our own work. Last weekend was disappointing but you can look at things in many ways. The lineouts are fixable. Some mistakes were poor calls, others were missed lifts and some were just poor throws. As I said, if we look at fixing those ourselves, then we can
be better next time out and make sure we secured possession better. The scrums last weekend were more down to the referee’s interpretation than anything else really. I mean we didn’t go backwards or anything. If we just work hard this week, then we can get ourselves ready for a huge game.”
Speaking of referee interpretations, the referee for this weekend’s game is Munster favourite Romain Poite. The man in the middle has refereed Munster on several occasions in the Heineken Cup. Mostly recently in the final pool game where Munster won 51-36 over Northampton Saints.
When asked about Mr Poite refereeing the game, O’Connell, once sin binned by the fussy official, smiled and offered these words.
“He has refereed me with Ireland and Munster several times. He is a very good referee and I would not have a problem with him since that day here in Thomond Park”.
The Munster team this weekend should have more of a familiar look to it. Wian Du Preez is expected to start at loose head. Varley, pictured above, will be at number two. Botha will once more anchor the scrum, while Donnacha Ryan and O’Connell should fill the engine room.
If Wallace is fit, Mc Gahan might just shuffle his backrow to allow the Ireland and Lion star to partner Coughlan and O’Mahony in those vital positions.
The backline should see two changes from last weekend. If rumours are to be believed, Denis Hurley will make it back into the side at the expense of Johne Murphy, while Conor Murray will make a return for Tomas O’Leary.
With the backline starved of good ball last weekend, messrs Zebo, Jones and Earls will be crying out to see more action this weekend. Munster have shown this season that they have the talent to convert chances if they are made available by the pack of forwards.
So, where will the game be won and or lost? As mentioned, Mc Gahan believes that up front is where the hard yards will be made. O’Connell believes that the set pieces are crucial, but he thinks one area is where it is all in the mix.
“The breakdown is fast becoming more important than the set piece. The new interpretations of the breakdown are going to be crucial. Referees are not going to be looking to catch players for every little thing, but they have been told to be more strict on the obvious penalties”.
These penalties have been narrowed down to two main areas. ‘Bridging’ (forming a bridge with your legs or knees and hands or elbows over the ball) and sealing (securing yourself to the tackled player, preventing the opposition grabbing the ball and if driven back, taking the tackled player and ball with you). Mr Poite will no doubt rule these areas to the letter of the law, so whomever is smarter at the breakdown will win the day.
As with last weekend, the head has to rule the heart on this one. If Ferris plays it will be very close, with a Munster win. If he does not, then captain O’Connell will lead Munster to the semi finals.
Munster v Ulster Squad: Johne Murphy, Ian Keatley, Tomas O’Leary, Felix Jones, Denis Hurley, Keith Earls, Lifeimi Mafi, Simon Zebo, Ronan O’Gara, Conor Murray, Danny Barnes, Duncan Williams, Scott Deasy, David Wallace, Donnacha O’Callaghan, Stephen Archer, Marcus Horan, Damien Varley, James Coughlan, Tommy O’Donnell, Peter O’Mahony, Paul O’Connell, Donnacha Ryan, BJ Botha, Mike Sherry, Wian Du Preez, Mick O’Driscoll, Billy Holland, John Ryan, Denis Fogarty.
