Positive Payne wins over the fans

THIS weekend represents a sort of a homecoming for Shaun Payne.

The Munster back arrived in Ireland after a two-year spell with Swansea and this weekend’s Heineken Cup game against the Neath-Swansea Ospreys will see him return to familiar territory. Well, a familiar landscape, if not quite familiar rugby territory, given the new regional system adopted by the WRU meant that traditional rivals Swansea and Neath were forced into a merger which neither wanted.

However, as Payne says, the new structure is bedding down and it does not mean that the Ospreys will be a pushover.

“It is all going to revolve around the team’s performance at the end of the day. If the team does really well, the differences between the two old teams and their supporters will vanish fairly quickly.

“Looking in from the outside, I think they re really coming along and that’s underlined by the fact they’re leading the Celtic League. They’ve made a couple of good signings with guys like Sonny Parker and I think they’ve a good squad and are a class team.

“It has been hard for them to swallow the past because what is there now is made up of two very famous teams with long and distinguished histories - going back almost to the time the game was founded. “But they have made progress and I think if they get the results, the fans will follow.”

Payne, a South African, came to Munster with high expectations and while he admits that last year’s Heineken Cup semi-final defeat to Wasps was a “terrible disappointment,” he says coming to Munster has been everything he expected it to be, even though he did not really want to move from Swansea.

“I’m not the sort of person who likes to move around a lot and I had put roots down in Swansea, but looking back on it, if I had to move anywhere, I could not have done any better than moving to Munster. I was pushed into the move because of the whole restructuring in Wales, but it has been a very positive for me.”

The 32-year-old has made a big impact and won over many fans in Ireland since he arrived last season - to the point where many were wondering if - as he is qualified to play for Ireland - he would get the call from the national team. It is not something which gives him sleepless nights worrying about, however.

“Everything is focused on playing for Munster right now and when and if the Ireland thing arises, I’ll deal with it then. Obviously, there is an age issue with me right now, so in terms of being picked for Ireland, I have absolutely no expectations.” Having played for the Natal Sharks in South Africa before coming to Europe, Payne saw plenty of big game action at King’s Park in Durban in front of 50/55,000 people, but he says the “different level of support” displayed by the Munster fans - particularly at Thomond Park - is something he enjoys hugely.

“And the thing is that the support is not just there at the home games.

These fans travel everywhere with the team and I don’t know of any other rugby team in the world that gets the away support Munster get. I honestly don’t believe Munster would have performed as well as they have in Europe over the years if they did not have that level of support.”

Another thing he has noticed since his arrival is a slow but sure upward ratcheting of the level of professionalism in the Munster camp. “I’m not saying it was not professional before, but this season it appears to have moved up a gear. Right now all the players have to do is get on the pitch to play or train - there is nothing else they have to worry about.”

Focusing on this week’s game, Payne says that he is looking forward to going back to Wales and to getting back playing after his injury hiatus and looking forward also to playing at The Gnoll, where he played for Swansea so often against Neath. He’s also expecting a bit of flak from the home crowd.

“You always have the crowd giving you the bird at the Gnoll, no matter who you are, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been back to Swansea a few times with Munster and it’s been great, but we can certainly expect a bit of niggle at the Gnoll. In terms of the Ospreys’ capitulation to Castres last week, Payne says nothing much should be read into that defeat. And neither does he think too much should be read into Munster’s close shave against Harlequins.

“You have to remember that Castres away is a tough game no matter who you are.

“Looking at our own game last week, from our point of view, we had to win and we did. We’ll take that win any day. The conditions, you have to remember were absolutely shocking, but I still think we can take a lot from that game.

“We scored one or two good tries and while it was not the perfect performance by any stretch of the imagination, we still took the points.

“Let’s not kid anyone, it was not a dream start, but the necessary was done.

“All told, though, I would not read too much into last weekend’s results because there is a long way to go yet.”