IN the wake of their thrilling win at Edinburgh, the Munster squad were basking in the sunshine this week and making the most of their two-week break.
Top of the URC table with, and with a home game against Ulster beckoning, the holders will soon be looking forward to entertain one of the last four finishers when the curtain comes up for the quarter-finals of this fascinating competition.
Similar to last season, Graham Rowntree’s charges raced up the table at the turn of the year and after the win in Scotland he was generous with his post-match comments: “I am dead proud of the lads. We found a way to win a game where, at points, everything was going against us. When it gets to the business end of a match, the lads just know how to stick to the plan. We have got the fitness, we have been here before. As a typical boring old Leicester forward, this league is all about taking it game by game.”
If 2023/’24 is anything to go by, Munster are in full flight for another title.
Up to last January their form was poor and the alarm bells were ringing when they lost to Connacht 22-9 in Galway.
Admittedly, they had a bad run of injuries but, to their credit, Munster have impressed in the second half of the fixture programme.
There is no doubt that at full strength they are lethal.
The spirit in the squad is second to none. Rory Scannell for instance, who did not have much game time this season, played his part right from the start in the centre at The Hive and RG Snyman continues to show his pure class.
Throw in the approach work for Antoine Frisch’s two tries, the first one a moment of sheer beauty, and Jack Crowley’s ‘stroll-in’ at a crucial time. and it is evident that the team reeks of rugby talent.
Although this URC competition is a bit of a marathon, these last two rounds have caught the attention of rugby fans.
