Sailing close to the wind
When it happens, you want it to be against one of the giants of the European game. Let it be Toulouse, Wasps or even Leicester.
On Saturday, as the second half progressed, there was the ever increasing possibility that Harlequins, the city slickers of the English game, would be the ones to do so. Perish the thought.
The London side entered this contest on the back of a seven-game losing sequence that has them rooted to the bottom of the Zurich Premiership. In the opening half they played with an aggression born from fear.
They came not to win, but to avoid humiliation. That is why their decision, having won the toss, to play against the wind and rain in the first half was brave in the extreme.
In the conditions, reaching half time only nine points in arrears was a marvellous achievement. From a Munster perspective, the overriding concern coming into this fixture was the lack of game time accumulated by their international stars. It certainly proved a factor.
While Harlequins have endured a torrid opening to their season, visiting such fortresses as Welford Road and Kingsholm has hardened them.
After the defeat to Wasps in last year's semi-final, Jim Williams thought long and hard about hanging up his boots. Williams admits to 35 years of age. My Australian friends would seem to suggest that there is an element of 'Tir na nÓg' in that statistic. Munster coach Alan Gaffney felt that Jim had one more season in him. How right he is.
Without him on Saturday, Munster would have lost this game.
His 60 minutes was one of the most outstanding he has given in a Munster jersey. His ability to compete at the breakdown ensured that Munster turned over Harlequins ball on several occasions. His leadership qualities and physicality in the tackle area lifted the players around him. Even in the line-out, where he is seldom utilised, he excelled.
The other major influence on the match, unfortunately, was referee Hugh Watkins.
From the off, the Welsh official failed to come to terms with this game. His handling of the scrum in particular was inconsistent and frustrating. Penalties were awarded almost on a rota basis. Given the difficult underfoot conditions, it was not surprising that a number of the early scrums collapsed. Yet Watkins copped out in dismissing Marcus Horan and Maurice Fitzgerald to the bin after only the third scrum of the game. I have never seen that happen before.
To be fair, Harlequins exerted huge pressure on the Munster scrum and their ability to wheel Munster made life extremely difficult for Anthony Foley at the base. As always, he dealt with difficult circumstances with ease.
Over the years, the hallmark of Munster's success at Thomond Park has been the aggressive platform established by the forward unit. As in last week's Celtic League game against Cardiff, the Munster front five lacked urgency.
In this respect, Donncha O'Callaghan was badly missed. His all embracing, no-nonsense aggressive style sets the tone for those around him. It was only after Jeremy Staunton had put Harlequins into a three-point lead and the sin-binning of Horan, that Munster decided to play.
Foley instilled the urgency with a series of quick penalties and the crowd responded. The result an excellent try for Anthony Horgan in the left-hand corner.
Even more encouraging was the role played by Ronan O'Gara and Christian Cullen in the execution of this score. The centre combination of Rob Henderson and John Kelly also looked extremely effective and Kelly in particular made a number of decisive midfield breaks.
Munster's second try was as a direct result of the pressure imposed by the back-row. Once again, Williams pounced on a loose Harlequins ball to enable Denis Leamy to score his first try in European competition.
The young No. 7 justified his selection throughout and one feels this score will be the first of many over the coming years.
With a 15-3 lead entering the final phase of the half, Munster reverted to the tried and trusted. Their lineout was performing well despite the difficult conditions, with Frankie Sheehan's throwing consistently on the money. As a result, they scorned two kickable penalties in an effort to put Harlequins away.
Over the years, Munster have consistently scored from the lineout rumble. On this occasion, Harlequins showed outstanding commitment in defence to repel two huge Munster drives.
With the half-time whistle ringing in their ears, this enabled the visitors to retreat to the dressing room with a spring in their step.
Munster faced a difficult 40 minutes.
In the opening minutes of the second half, they lost two of their first three line-outs. One resulted in a penalty, which Staunton converted.
Struggling for possession, Munster's defence was tested to the full. Lion Dafydd James made an outstanding midfield break and looked certain to score until outstanding cover defence by both Kelly and Williams saved a certain try. That was a huge moment.
The next came with the sin-binning of reserve Harlequins hooker Ace Tiatia, yellow-carded for a high tackle on Anthony Horgan less than three minutes after his introduction.
In recent seasons, Munster have been ruthless in exploiting the opposition when reduced to 14 men.
On this occasion, Harlequins rose to the challenge to such a degree that they outscored Munster by three points to nil when Staunton kicked a further penalty.
With a slim six point lead came the shocking realisation that Munster could lose this game. The introduction of Alan Quinlan gave Munster's lineout renewed options that were badly needed.
In the end, they showed sufficient composure and experience to ride the storm. Despite failing to score in the second half, they survived.
Munster face a difficult trip to Neath next Sunday and will have to up their performance considerably.
Saturday's experience will stand to them.
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