Patience a virtue for O’Leary

IT has become an iconic moment in Munster’s Heineken Cup defence.

52 minutes into their must-win clash with Clermont Auvergne at Thomond Park in December, the hosts were nervously defending a 11-6 lead. The ball fell to an onrushing Benoit Baby who looked set for an easy run under the posts. That’s when Tomás O’Leary entered the equation.

All the odds favoured Baby, who was running at full tilt, 10 yards from the line against the smaller scrum half. But O’Leary nailed man and ball, saved a certain seven-pointer, left Baby bloodied, and swung the game back in Munster’s favour.