Everyone’s cranky but no one wants holidays

Imports like Mils Muliaina and Bundee Aki can leave a lasting legacy at a club. It’s not just what you learn on the Saturday, it’s as much about what you’re picking up from Monday to Friday.

I could be on holidays tomorrow. This forever season they talk about in the Top 14 will come to an abrupt end on the second week in May if Racing Metro fail to win in Toulouse this evening.

I don’t anticipate being finished for the season tomorrow morning and I expect Racing’s players are of the same mindset. Last Saturday we travelled to Montpellier with a number of scenarios available to us, one of which gave Racing a home quarter-final. The one scenario we didn’t bargain for was a capitulation which saw us get walloped. We played like a team with the safety net of qualification under us. The fear was missing, that essential ingredient. We were in Montpellier like Toulouse were in Thomond Park last month. Consequently training been’s cranky this week. Munster cranky. Encouraging. Johnny Sexton has been Johnny, demanding more work-rate. Juande Kruger took exception to the way he was being spoken to and they squared up. No punches, just shapes. I like that. We had it twice a week in Munster. It shows people care. It was nothing against Kruger — Johnny wouldn’t be selective about who he’d have a go at, he’s consistently looking to set standards.