O’Connell: beware backlash of wounded Clermont

IN a sport as directly confrontational as rugby, on a pitch that has really levelled out physically since the advent of the professional era, more and more nowadays at the top level it’s the psychological battles that can end up deciding the outcome of the war.

Sometimes a team will use psychology to undermine their opponents; sometimes it’s used purely to boost themselves.

Over the years, under former coach Declan Kidney, Munster became very adept at the latter, used their underdog tag to massive effect as they grew from being one of the also rans of Europe to being top dog.