MUNSTER prop James Cronin chatted to the media this week ahead of Saturday night’s Pro12 derby clash with Connacht at Thomond Park. The game, which kicks off at 5.15pm, will see Cronin once more in the hunt for a full time Munster starting slot, while also offering a chase to impress Ireland coach Joe Schmidt once more.
For more info on the game, tickets and team news, see http://www.munsterrugby.ie
What kind of a challenge will Connacht pose in the pack based on recent meetings?
“We never get anything easy out of Connacht. They are in brilliant form at the moment, but even when they haven’t been going so well they will have a big game against Munster regardless. They are top of the table and will be coming down looking for a scalp, so we will prepare as best we can.”
Are Pat Lam’s side as structured as they have always been?
“They are very well drilled. Pat Lam has done a brilliant job with them. They wouldn’t be top of the table otherwise. We have a big task in front of us, but look, we are at home, it’s Thomond Park and we will be trying to maintain our own home record. Hopefully, it will be a good game.
What has your own experience against Connacht been like in previous games?
“In pre-season we got a bit of a walloping off them and that is still hurting us a tiny bit. I have played them a couple of times over the years and it’s always physical, one score encounters. We know what is in front of us and we are preparing as best we can.”
There is an international squad getting together at Christmas. Is this an important block of games for you personally?
“Yeah, but you can’t look too far ahead. I’m going alright at the moment, but that is all it is. You are only one injury away from not playing. I found that out last season so it’s keeping the head down and going one game at a time, not really looking that far ahead to be honest with you.”
Front row forwards are growing very important in the modern game, is this adding pressure?
“Well, they always say scrum is king and it is. Set-piece is massive, line-out, scrum. That is where games are won and lost nowadays. If you have a good platform to work off of, it’s half the battle.
Is the competition for starting spots in Munster a good thing?
“There is good competition there. Myself and Killer (Dave Kilcoyne), Johnny Ryan, BJ (Botha), John Ryan over on the other side, Mario (Sagario), so we are all fighting tooth and nail for the same cause. You are disappointed if you are on the bench, but you know if that is your role, you come on with 20 or 30 minutes to go and make an impact, so that’s it I suppose.”
Has it been difficult with Stade Francais game being called off & now getting ready for a derby?
“A tiny bit, like. Obviously, Heineken (Champions Cup) Cup over in France, everyone was looking forward to it. We found out the same way ye did, on Twitter on Tuesday night, that it was off. There is disappointment, but look it’s small scale compared to what happened in Paris. It’s a game at the end of the day. Look, we had the weekend off, everyone recovered, and you can see everyone bouncing around today. Everyone is just looking forward to a good inter-pro. I can’t wait for Saturday.”
What did you do last weekend with the Stade game having been called off?
“We found out on Tuesday night. We trained on Thursday and everyone knew we had the weekend off. Fellas went away to hotels and chilled out. Mostly, I watched the rugby, so I didn’t get too far away from anything. That was it basically.”
Is it disruptive physically when the game is called off?
“No, in fairness, to the S&C there was a new schedule sent out on Tuesday night, so the minute we found out the game was called off it was re-jigged on Tuesday night and everyone knew what they were up to Wednesday. That was it.”
