Monday, April 12, 2010
IF ONLY we could have rugby like this every weekend.
So often when teams make the knockout stage of any sport, they lift the hand-brake, paralysed by a fear of failure.
To the unending credit of the eight teams in this fascinating series of Heineken Cup quarter-finals, each came to play. The end product saw games of genuine quality, all of which went to the wire. To that you can also add Connacht’s marvellous win in the Amlin Challenge Cup over Bourgoin which was also decided in the last minute and completed a brilliant weekend for Irish rugby.
The net result sees Munster return to San Sebastian to face Biarritz in a rematch of their quarter final of five years ago when the lost by 19-10.
Holders Leinster have an even more demanding date against Toulouse for a replay of their 2006 quarter-final joust when they played their hosts at their own game with a sublime display of running rugby to emerge winners by 35-41.
For the four survivors, there’s also an element of relief, not only for the fact that they are within 80 minutes of another final appearance – all four have been there before – but that a side with the power and attacking prowess of Clermont-Auvergne have also been banished to the realm of onlooker.
If Leinster were counting their lucky stars to still be alive in the tournament after Friday night’s epic encounter, then Munster once against thumbed their noses at the naysayers with another classic Thomond performance.
Northampton, like so many before them, had convinced themselves prior to kick off that they knew what was coming and after being here in January, were comfortable in their ability to cope with the unique elements that characterise a trip to this inimitable setting. Not for a moment did they anticipate that Munster had the capacity, based on recent performances, to lift the levels of intensity required to win at this stage of the tournament.
It was the rock they perished on.
As with their amazing display at the Stade Aime Giral against Perpignan last December, Munster buried the doubters and once again demonstrated that when the need is greatest, they always have an extra gear.
To lose a talismanic leader like Paul O’Connell in the hours before this encounter would have buried a side of lesser character, but it only galvanised the senior players into a collective understanding that they would have to up their performance levels and run the show.
Mick O’Driscoll had big boots to fill but not for the first time the Cork man showed that he too has big feet. He was inspirational. In addition all the big guns delivered and choked a Northampton side full of potential but lacking the added extras required to succeed at this stage. They will learn as they have the foundations of a very good side but on a day when Jean de Villiers, Doug Howlett, Paul Warwick – what a cover tackle on Kruger in the corner – David Wallace (his hit and rip on Neil Best at a vital stage) and Alan Quinlan were all at the height of their powers, it was difficult to compete.
When Ronan O’Gara is in the groove there is no better conductor in rugby. Captain in the absence of O’Connell, he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half when true direction was needed and once again backed comments during the week as to why he feels he should be Ireland’s starting No 10 with yet another clinical display of game management. In addition his cut out pass to set up Howlett’s first try was glorious.
Yet when the bouquets are being handed out, one shouldn’t look any further than Marcus Horan, who gave one of the bravest performances I have seen for some time. Not so long ago the Shannon stalwart faced the real prospect of having to retire prematurely due to illness but has slowly rebuilt his career. Against Leinster last weekend, there were signs of recovery in the manner he dealt with Springbok colossus CJ Van der Linde in the scrum. Northampton loose head Euan Murray has scattered all before him in recent months but Horan sent a clear message to Declan Kidney that he wants his Irish jersey back. On the evidence of this showing he can dare to dream once again next June.
MUNSTER’S scrum, apart from the first engagement of the game which yielded a penalty for the visitors, delivered in spades even manufacturing a strike against the head and the sight of Murray being withdrawn from battle with 25 minutes left provided Munster with the impetus to drive their advantage home. Once again, Munster used a perceived weakness to their advantage, not only negating a superiority the visitors expected, but employing it as a example of their cussed defiance. The message was clear – we will not be bettered.
On Friday, Tony McGahan summarised what was required in a nutshell: "field position is the key factor". The basic lesson of the defeat to Leinster in the Magners League had been absorbed. It helped also that Munster reverted to type and played simple rugby, epitomised by de Villiers try in the second half – a good scrum platform for Tomás O’Leary to launch his pace, suck in defenders and feed the Cape Town crusader who ran a sumptuous line in an unstoppable assault on the try line. The pick and go from the forwards was also back in vogue and all the other elements fell into place.
In addition Munster still managed to play with the width McGahan has developed, yielding two great tries for Howlett. When you outscore a team by four tries to one there is simply no argument and the return of Keith Earls – who I would prefer to have seen left in the centre when Lifeimi Mafi replaced the injured Ian Dowling – once again displayed what an integral part he now plays in Munster’s attacking game. They are a different side when he is on the field.
A word too for the crowd. They know better than most when this team needs a lift. Right from the off the atmosphere was electric and when James Coughlan marked his first start in this magnificent competition by blocking down Stephen Myler’s kick and followed it up by man-handling Chris Ashton and his pink boots into touch, they rose to acknowledge his arrival.
Now Leinster and Munster head to the south of France and the Spanish border for what promises to be a seismic weekend as the best that this country has to offer retain the prospect of a collective invasion of Paris for the final on May 22nd.
Just think about that for a second.
© Examiner Publications (Cork) Limited, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 73385.
