Merciless James has all guns blazing

UNDER his arm he cradled the Waterford Crystal man-of-the-match trophy, on his face a smile, and why not?

Brock James had just had one of the games of his life, master-minding the first defeat of this Heineken Cup campaign for the champions with some brilliant tactical kicking and handling, and scoring every one of Clermont’s 25 points. Seven kicks from seven, and of course the try that ultimately decided this gruelling encounter.

Seven minutes into the second half, against what had been a watertight Munster defence, Clermont were again battering at the Munster line and getting nowhere, when suddenly it all happened for the Aussie number ten. There was a step inside Ronan O’Gara, another inside Paul O’Connell, then finally a brush past Doug Howlett, and he was in. It wasn’t his only moment of inspiration all afternoon, but it was the most crucial.