Munster count cost as vital Cup warm-up lost to weather

MUNSTER have been left to count more than the financial cost of an aborted trip to Llanelli on Saturday.

The weekend trip will cost Munster in excess of €15,000, but far more worrying is the fact that the team go into Saturday’s Heineken Cup without preparatory test.

Scottish referee Rob Dickson over-ruled Munster and Llanelli officials who were willing to play their Celtic League clash, despite the poor condition of the pitch at Stradey Park, and called off the game less than an hour before the scheduled 5.30 kick-off.

Neither Munster manager Jerry Holland or Llanelli coach Gareth Jenkins were pleased.

Llanelli, with three games in hand, already faced a fixture crisis, while Munster desperately wanted to give their likely starting side for the Heineken Cup an opportunity to play together before next week.

“We wanted to play the game and so did Llanelli. The game was important for both of us, but the referee deemed the pitch unsafe and we have to respect that decision,” said Holland.

Jenkins was less supportive. “The match should have been started. The pitch was muddy but it could easily have got under way.

“I think the referee got it wrong and it certainly did not look dangerous to me. We tried to get an early decision because people had travelled long distances.

“It would have been fair enough if the pitch was flooded, but there wasn’t much, if any, water lodged on the ground when the decision was made,” said Jenkins.

Holland described the loss of a game at this time as “a blow”.

“It was an opportunity for us to get the guys coming back from international duty involved again. We also had some players coming back from injury, and that was a chance to see how they would cope.”

Munster coach Declan Kidney also bemoaned the lost opportunity: “Playing against a European Cup side like Llanelli would have been the perfect prelude to Saturday. It would have given us the chance to note where we stood.

“We go into the match against Perpignan now without any game for four weeks and without having our whole squad together for ten weeks.

"It’s certainly not the ideal preparation for a Heineken Cup fixture. We will just have to look at the positive side; maybe we will be a small bit fresher, and at least we didn’t pick up any more bangs or knocks,” he said.

Both clubs will now have to meet with the Celtic League committee who will decide on a new date.

Munster will also seek financial compensation for the costs incurred on the trip.

Kidney had named Tomas O’Leary at outside centre against Llanelli in an experimental move, but may now have to re-think that strategy given O’Leary’s lack of game time in a new position.

He had obviously also hoped to give returning injury victims Christian Cullen and Mike Mullins some game time on Saturday.