O’Callaghan: that was embarrassing

A BAD night only got worse for Donncha O’Callaghan when he drew the short straw to face the assembled media but the Munster lock was as up front off the pitch as he is on it.

How bad a night was it? Well, consider this. For the first time in the province’s 14 years as a professional outfit, they had been held scoreless in a competitive game. It was also Munster’s heaviest defeat since Leicester eviscerated them 50-19 in a pre-season friendly at Welford Road in August 2005 and their most comprehensive competitive loss since shipping 60 points away to Cardiff 16 months earlier.

How did it make him feel?

“Of course you are embarrassed,” he said. “It was tough enough against the wind but then to get opened up is hugely disappointing. Full credit to them. They put us to the pump and won all the contact areas. Their hunger was greater than us and that is the disappointing thing for us. That is why it is embarrassing.”

Saturday was all the more alarming for the timing. Munster begin their Heineken Cup campaign against Northampton in Franklin Gardens this Saturday, which leaves little in the way of time to right so many wrongs.

“It is a test of your character and the only thing that answers it now is next Saturday and how we perform from here. I can’t give you answers there. We’re in a corner now and it’s about how we come back. For so early in the season, our backs are to the wall already and the days of that being enjoyable are long gone.”

It isn’t easy to recall a defeat so comprehensive, a performance so limp, in Munster’s history. In fact, a quick scan through the mental filing cabinet takes O’Callaghan all the way back to a January day in 2003 at the Stade Aime Giral in Perpignan.

They were beaten up physically in the trenches that day too and ended up returning from France on the back of a 23-8 defeat, with one foot out the exit door and the other about to land beside it.

Those Munster supporters seeking a glimmer of light on this dark Monday might do well to remember the team’s response to that defeat. Seven days later, Thomond played host to Gloucester and the Miracle Match.

A more recent, and depressing similarity however is that between Saturday’s defeat and the Heineken Cup semi-final last April. On both occasions, Munster were swept aside and, just like then, they were left fretting over a disciplinary issue.

It was Alan Quinlan then. This time it is John Hayes.

“I knew Cian (Healy) was trying to pull down the maul but I think we all know Hayes,” said O’Callaghan. “He is the most honest, disciplined fella you could come across. That’s nothing like him. The maul was being pulled down.

“I know Cian has had a chat with him but John Hayes is an impeccable character and for him to go off like that is hugely embarrassing for him. Ye know him lads, he is a nice fella and that is nothing like him.”

There were a few other occasions when the odd fist flew but this was largely a game about hits of the legal variety and the memory of Leinster’s physicality will remain in the memory bank for some time.

Michael Cheika had spoken last week about the need for Leinster to approach the tie “mentally angry” and they didn’t disappoint. His side tackled like dervishes – much as they had in Croke Park six months ago, in fact.

“It didn’t surprise me,” said Leinster’s new second row, Nathan Hines. “I was at the game last year in the semi-final and that’s the way Leinster have been taking the games to Munster. That is the way we wanted to play it. Munster were very physical as well so that was a good hit-out for the Heineken Cup.

“The thing with Leinster-Munster is that whoever is most up for it usually gets the win so we wanted to go in there big early and impose ourselves on the game. The sooner we could do that the better it would be for us and that’s the way it worked out for us there.”

Cheika said that the final margin might have flattered Leinster a tad but Hines demurred and it is hard to argue with the Scottish international after a game where they were superior in pretty much every department.

Next up is an appetising European opener at the RDS against a flamboyant London Irish who, after a battling win away to Sale on Friday night, seem to be another side capable of winning pretty or ugly, depending on the occasion.

“They will come here with a bit of confidence because they came here at the start of the season and did pretty well in a friendly game,” said Hines. “The ball is in our court again after what we did here. That is when the real game starts, next week.”