Tyler Bleyendaal: Munster 'in a good place' as they prepare for Leinster trip

Tributes to ‘Axel’ peppered the evening as Clayton McMillan’s side claimed a home win. Bleyendaal, who was one of the Munster players in the hotel that fateful day in the French capital, tried his best to catch what live footage he could.

He wouldn’t go as far as to say that he was happy to see their provincial rivals win a week before they play an interpro in the Aviva Stadium, but there was an acknowledgement that Munster had done Foley and the occasion proud.

“It brought it all back obviously. It was a shock that it was 10 years on. It was crazy to think it was 10 years ago but the memories are still very raw and still something that probably connects a lot of people that were involved that day.

“Jacques (Nienaber, Leinster’s senior coach who was Munster defence coach at the time), was obviously there as well and the shock it brought, the emotions after, and then how we obviously played the match against Glasgow pretty soon after…” 

This weekend’s URC meeting falls 12 months after Munster’s surprise but comprehensive defeat of Leinster at Croke Park. It was the fourth win of five in a superb opening top the campaign under new head coach Clayton McMillan.

Bleyendaal crossed paths with McMillan when the former was an assistant coach with the Hurricanes and the latter was the bossman with the Chiefs. He also knows new Munster CEO Avan Lee quite well, incidentally, given his previous role with the ‘Canes.

Munster haven’t got a perfect record coming to Dublin this time but there is a case to be made that they look a more complete side than this time last year as their Kiwi coach increases his footprint. Bleyendaal has been impressed.

“I would say (Munster are in) a good place. They're very hard to beat, they're having good wins, they're making contests out of all their matches. They've just got a really good mix of physicality and ball skills, they use the ball as well.

“Maybe their hand is being forced but there's a bit of youth being injected in there too which brings a bit of a different dynamic.” 

Leinster look different this time, too.

Their comprehensive win away to Clermont seemed to confirm that impression that was first rooted in bringing all their Ireland stars on the two-game tour to South Africa so the group could bond and train as a collective.

“I feel like the game we just had on the weekend was probably the equivalent, match time-wise (to Munster last season), and we fronted much better for that match. Then our poor performance last year is really sharpening the mind, that we don't want a repeat of that.

“So we are aware of the challenge that Munster will bring and we were definitely lacking in many departments last year. Long-term maybe it was a positive, but we'll have to see how we respond this year.” 

Munster were much the better side last year. And much more physical. Bleyendaal, Leinster’s attack coach, admitted as much when reflecting on it. Add in respective current form and an Ireland squad being named on Wednesday and there’s a lot going for this latest meeting.

Jamison Gibson-Park, who still hasn’t featured this term with a groin injury, didn’t train fully on Monday and is still a doubt for the game at the Aviva Stadium. Also out is No.8 Jack Conan who injured a shoulder in scoring at Stade Marcel Michelin.

Conan was due to undergo a scan on the issue on Monday but all the indications are that he is looking at something more than a few weeks out of action and this at a time when Leinster and Ireland are already without the injured Caelan Doris at No.8.

Josh Ericson, who impressed on debut in South Africa, is another absentee right now. The province can still turn to Max Deegan at the back of the scrum while the likes of James Culhane, Scott Penny and Alex Soroka are other options, if not dedicated No.8s.