Good start against Biarritz is imperative, says proud Williams

MUNSTER’S Heineken Cup final with Biarritz is going to be a cat and mouse affair where drawing first blood could be the decisive factor, according to former Reds skipper Jim Williams.

The Basque side have qualified for the final despite failing to play to the best of their ability for the most part in Europe this season, but Williams believes Munster will be meeting kindred spirits in the Welsh capital.

“They work along the same kind of lines as ourselves, they put a lot of pressure on you from anywhere. They put pressure back on you and they defend very well. They get points up early, so I think it’s going to be a cat and mouse game. If we can get the field position and get some early points and keep that lead we can do something.”

There were few people happier with the performance of Munster’s pack last Sunday than Williams, but the forwards coach believes that the much-vaunted pack has even more in the tank than they showed to such awesome effect against Leinster.

As the players were at pains to point out after the final whistle, there were no medals handed out for the win and Williams will be spending the next few weeks ironing out the few negatives that caught his eye.

“I’m a coach. I’ve got to find something to whinge about. The concentration and composure was there for the 80 minutes. We got some opportunities and we needed to get some scores when we got inside the opponent’s half and 22. We did that as well, which is pleasing.

“We targeted a few things during the week and I think, from a coach’s perspective, to work on those aspects and see them come out in the game was pleasing. We struggled at times in terms of getting isolated a bit. The guys stitched it up though, so it’s great to see what we do on the training field brought out onto the pitch.”

Everyone knew the Munster game plan long before Joel Jutge blew the whistle at 3pm on Sunday, but knowing it is one thing, stopping it another and their ability to claim ownership of the ball through their forwards allowed them dictate the field position.

‘Possession pressure’ Williams calls it but if Munster made it all look surprisingly easy, that was far from the reality according to the former Wallaby.

“Once Leinster got the ball they regenerated it so quickly through any number of players. They are going to attack you and they started doing that in the second part of the second-half. They really started to worry me because they were getting quick ball and they were getting numbers on us as well.”

Coaching the forwards may be his job but Williams was still able to appreciate the performance of his number ten whose 20 points took him past the 750-point mark in the Heineken Cup. “Rog was fabulous. He’s been good running with the ball in hand and his service has always been impeccable. It was definitely one of his best (performances). To score a try the way he did was great. He’s always looking for that half break in the line. He thinks he has this huge chest on him,” Williams laughed, “so I’m delighted he got over for that score.”

Every time Michael Cheika’s side seemed poised to build up a head of steam, their own basic errors cut the legs from under them. Even if they are not at full pelt, Biarritz are unlikely to be so accommodating.

“They were off their game a little bit. An occasion like this can get to some players. Felipe (Contepomi) was obviously off his game a little bit with his kicking game and they couldn’t get their back line going. We made some good first half hits and that just gave us some good forward momentum and we took it on from there.”