Munster can make it pay Back time in Tigers’ den

MUNSTER v Leicester, Welford Road, second weekend in April.

Given all possible permutations going into the last round of games, from a neutral perspective, even from the perspective of the Munster fans, the repeat of last year's final was surely the most desirable, and is now the most attractive and intriguing of the quarter-finals in this Heineken Cup. The Tiger's den, another almost-

impregnable foreign fortress, gives Munster an early opportunity to salve a still-fresh sore, settle a recent score. Last year's Hand of Back incident will prey on the minds of both clubs, when Munster were denied a game-winning try-scoring opportunity in the final minutes by some illegal sleight-of-hand from the Leicester flanker.

It's only right that Munster and, Leicester too, should be given another opportunity to settle matters between them.

Should Munster be worried? Absolutely. If they were ever to hold up a mirror, the team looking back at them could well be Leicester. Multi-talented, tough, hardened, big-hearted, honest (despite the Back incident), stung at being written off a tad early this season, they represent another massive challenge.

But, should Leicester be worried? Perhaps even more so. Last Saturday, we saw yet again what this Munster side is capable of when their backs are to the wall. Their intensity was absolute and the pace relentless. Imagine then (though they will probably deny this) how much more determination that incident last year will bring. I don't think anybody in Welford Road will be looking forward particularly to Munster's visit.

Let's put this latest Munster miracle in perspective. They gave a head start of four tries and 26 points to the best team in England, and still beat them. But what will most concern Dean Richards and company is the manner in which it was done. Though faced with a huge challenge there was no sign of panic in Munster, nothing frantic or frenetic in the way Munster went about their task. It was cool, calculated, clinical. Hooker Frankie Sheahan, 100% accurate with his darts at lineout time: "It was a very patient game, we set out from the start to get the win first, worry about the tries afterwards. Then at half time we found ourselves with two tries (scored), three tries with 10 or 15 minutes to go. It was then we said we could have right crack at this, but we still stayed patient, and it paid off, a try right at the death."

So much criticism has been shipped by Sheahan and his front row team-mates, and much of it is nonsense. Peter Clohessy has retired, but even last year Marcus Horan was being blooded and is now fast developing

into an international-class loosehead. Add in the massive presence of John Hayes and, in the tight or loose, this is a front row to compete with any in European club rugby.

"Gloucester pride themselves on their pack, and we knew if we were going to win, we'd have to do well up front. We're delighted with the result," said Hayes.

Modern rugby has more than its share of flash and dash, but so much still depends on the trench war. Leicester are well-served there, but they will know beyond doubt so are Munster.

Of course, there is the home venue factor. Munster won't have the Thomond Park support, not to be underestimated, but then they won't have the distractions of wondering about exactly how many tries, how much points differential, they'll need.

Remember Ronan O'Gara, who didn't realise as he stepped up, that the last conversion was needed to secure the quarter-final berth.

"After John scored I lost the run of myself a small bit, ran celebrating to the crowd. In the back of my mind I knew about the points difference, but I wasn't calculating as we went along. I knew four tries would be enough, and would improve our points for situation. But I thought once we'd gone beyond 20 points we'd be all right. Just as well I was concentrating!" Despite injuries to front-line players like Paul O'Connell, Anthony Horgan, John O'Neill, Dom Crotty, David Wallace and Rob Henderson, all of whom could be available by the time the quarter-final comes around in April (particularly as Wallace and Henderson have just returned to full training), Munster managed to overcome the massive challenge facing them against Gloucester. All they need to win by at Welford Road is one point. One point. For this Munster team, no more mission impossible.