The thunder from Down Under

THANK God for Paul Warwick! Munster supporters, of course, have their own reasons to feel grateful for the presence of the flying Aussie in the team that takes to the field in Croke Park today, in the mouth-watering Heineken Cup semi-final clash with Leinster.

For those of us who work the beat, however, it’s refreshing to meet someone who hasn’t been down this road before, someone who wasn’t there the last time this particular circus came to town. When Munster met Leinster in the Heineken Cup semi-final of 2006, Warwick was plying his wares in Connacht.

Last season, however, he was persuaded to head south, and took the year to find his feet. This season, he’s been a revelation, pulling the strings with supreme confidence when filling it at out-half while Ronan O’Gara is on international duty, superb in both defence and attack when playing at full-back.