McGahan keen to avoid ‘B’ word

IT would be harsh to blame Munster coach Tony McGahan if ‘bonus’ was the last word he wanted to hear in the build-up to tomorrow’s Heineken Cup tie against Montauban.

When I asked him prior to the first meeting of the sides last October whether he thought the game afforded Munster the chance of a bonus point, McGahan provided a straight and what appeared at the time to be an honest appraisal of the situation. After all, Montauban were playing their very first game in the Heineken Cup and were doing so at Thomond Park, the famous home fortress of the defending champions. Nobody, but nobody, gave them a chance.

McGahan’s reply to the question was: “We need to set a standard this weekend and to play our best rugby of the season and if we do that, then we’re very confident of getting the bonus. We need to be bolder in our approach and to knock the game into shape in the first 30 minutes. First of all we need to win the game but this is an opportunity to get five points, especially if the conditions are favourable.”