Burke relishing Munster challenge

IT may be deemed a touch ironic. As Ronan O’Gara was limping off in Lansdowne Road on Sunday, a pivotal moment in Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final loss to Wasps, Paul Burke, the man signed up as O’Gara’s back-up next season, was celebrating the Parker Pen Challenge Cup semi-final last-gasp win of Harlequins, over Connacht, and his own pivotal role in that success.

In the wind-assisted first half, Burke’s line-kicking was almost O’Gara-esque in its execution. Time and again, after the dominant Connacht pack had ground out many hard-earned yards with phase after phase, Burke had them turning on their heels with long, raking, accurate touchfinders forcing the men in green to start all over again.

One such kick stands out. In the 28th minute after a long period of sustained Connacht pressure Burke produced a monster kick, from his own 22 which ran and ran and was eventually shepherded into touch just short of the Connacht line.