Stuffings to savoir
Despite Munster’s exhilarating performance at Thomond Park on Saturday, their Heineken Cup quarter-final fate rested in the hands of bitter rivals Leinster.
The unqualified support for their traditional enemy in the pubs and clubs around Munster was a sight to behold. In recent seasons, Leinster have been rightly criticised for their inability to produce the big performance when it mattered most. They’ve gone a long way to shaking off that monkey.
While yesterday’s heroics in Bath presented them with the dubious honour of a trip to Toulouse, it ensured Munster have a home quarter-final against Perpignan in Lansdowne Road. They will look forward to that challenge with relish.
Whatever sporting occasion you prefer, nothing can truly compare with the raw passion and sense of unity experienced by those lucky enough to be in Thomond Park on Saturday. The quality of Munster’s performance in the opening 40 minutes was the best I can remember.
Their achievement in reaching the knockout stages again must be put into context. Over the past eight seasons, only two sides in Europe have been ever-present in the quarter-finals - Toulouse and Munster. That says it all.
Given Sale’s lofty perch at the top of the Guinness Premiership, the task Munster faced was immense. To hold the Sharks tryless for over 80 minutes and scoreless in the second half underlined the scale of Munster’s performance.
Sale knew exactly what to expect from fortress Thomond, but were powerless to cope. Included in their squad was Robert Todd, who was at centre for Gloucester in the “miracle match.” In the build-up to the game, he outlined to his team-mates exactly what they could expect. Yet they were powerless.
I have been involved in many games where there was a necessity early on to let the opposition know you weren’t prepared to take a backward step. The difficulty with this approach is that, at times, it shifts your focus from the primary objective of playing rugby. Sale found themselves in such a conundrum.They crossed the line and paid the price as early as the fifth minute when Argentine second row Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe was sin binned.
Tactically, Declan Kidney got it spot-on. He identified Sebastian Chabal as the key influence in the visitors’ side. He is to Sale what Anthony Foley and Paul O’Connell are to Munster. Stop him and you are well on the road to sinking the Sharks.
Such is the accuracy of Ronan O’Gara’s restarts that they repeatedly landed on the head of the Frenchman. Unfortunately for him, O’Connell was arriving simultaneously. On one occasion in the opening quarter, O’Connell drove him back 15 metres. It lifted the crowd and his team to such a degree that Sale never recovered.
Fifteen minutes later, Chabal was subjected to a textbook rugby league double tackle by O’Gara and Foley that left him reeling. From that moment onward, his influence waned. He had enough. I am quite sure he will die happy if he never sees Thomond Park again. A few seasons ago, he endured a similar experience playing for Bourgoin.
Munster’s achievement in scoring three tries in the first half was remarkable given that Sale dominated possession. In the opening quarter, Munster had but one lineout throw. It was remarkable therefore that it produced the opening try by Foley from a trademark lineout maul.
While Sale enjoyed plenty of possession, such was the ferocity of Munster’s defence they found it difficult to achieve their normal continuity game. The back row of Foley, Denis Leamy and David Wallace was immense. Their influence can be measured by the fact that Sale’s renowned ball carriers Andrew Sheridan and Julian White were practically anonymous. In big games one always looks to the senior men to lead the way. On this occasion the Lions second row combination of O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan were inspirational.
O’Callaghan, in particular, was back to his harassing best and his physicality caused untold damage to Sale up front. His lineout performance was also out of the top drawer, particularly in the second half when he managed to pilfer three Sale throws.
Remarkably, entering the 80th minute, the second half was scoreless and it looked as if the all-important fourth try to clinch the bonus point would elude Munster. It just added to the drama of the occasion when Wallace achieved that feat in injury-time to send the crowd wild. The party had well and truly started.
On days such as this, the selection of man of the match is almost irrelevant. One could easily have put the 15 Munster names in a hat and picked one out safe in the knowledge that you’d be happy with the result.
While the forwards will justifiably take the honours, Munster’s much maligned backline deserves immense credit for the manner in which they have performed in recent weeks. On Saturday, the back three of Sean Payne, John Kelly and Ian Dowling did everything was asked of them with an assured confidence. That spread throughout the team. In the centre, this will be remembered as the day Barry Murphy came of age in European competition.
Leinster’s victory over Bath was more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests, with three magnificent tries in the opening 20 minutes. Bath were always chasing a game they were never going to win. For a side that has had difficulty in scoring tries all season, they were forced to playa ball in hand game alien to them.
For Leinster to win, their front five had to perform. In this respect they produced enough quality ball to ensure their mercurial backs extracted the maximum return. No-one did better than Brian O’Driscoll, offering the perfect response to those stupid enough to write him off. The quality of his attacking play was equal to anything we have ever seen in an Irish or Lions jersey.
He was an inspiration to everyone around him. Up front, Will Green and Malcolm O’Kelly were also terrific.
While Keith Gleeson has been omitted from Ireland’s initial squad for the Six Nations championship, his performance, along with Wallace on Saturday, ensures that competition forback row places will produce welcome headaches for Eddie O’Sullivan.
With the Heineken Cup stored away until April, the Six Nations campaign suddenly looks far more attractive given the quality of the weekend performances. Players from both provinces have plenty to look forward to.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
