McGahan relieved to be back on track

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan, his management team and players, enter the international break with their confidence levels boosted by Saturday’s bonus point Magners League win over Ulster at Thomond Park.

But one win wouldn’t paper over the cracks of their poor early season form and McGahan and company will spend the coming weeks analysing and assessing why the province has looked a shadow of itself in both League and Cup competitions.

It remains to be seen whether the November international break is a good or bad thing but undoubtedly victory over high flying Ulster has certainly helped to get the team back on track. Munster stepped up several gears on their debacle in Edinburgh a week earlier providing very welcome solace for the Red Army who will be largely inactive between now and the next Magners League game away to the Ospreys on December 5. Paul O’Connell and company will need to hit the ground running that night given that six days later they face Perpignan in a crucial Heineken Cup game at Thomond Park.

O’Connell was satisfied with a job well done on Saturday. He said: “There was much greater intensity and enthusiasm. When we bring that to our game it doesn’t matter if we make mistakes because we can still play well and turn in performances. It was there in bucket loads tonight”.

His was an accurate description of Munster’s display which was not without errors but marked a huge improvement on recent outings. They got plenty right at the line-out and the break down and perhaps above all, satisfied referee Alain Rolland that they were largely operating within the laws.

O’Connell agreed the Edinburgh defeat stung. “If we couldn’t pick it up after last weekend, we never would. That was very bad but we worked very hard through the week and by Thursday and Friday, I wasn’t really worrying about a performance. I knew it was going to happen.”

Ulster travelled to Thomond on a high after a fine win over Leinster and with big expectations. They came up short but showed why they have been enjoying such good form this season. Individually, players like Paddy Wallace, Ian Humphreys and Stephen Ferris excelled but crucially the team is beginning to click. Their determination and commitment ensured the game, for the first hour anyway, was contested with the intensity of a big Heineken Cup encounter.

The early stages were highlighted by splendid tries for Jean de Villiers after a superb break and glorious inside pass by the outstanding Tomás O’Leary followed by a splendid individual effort by Ulster’s Humphreys. The successful conversions by Ronan O’Gara and Humphreys left the sides locked level (7-7) after 18 minutes before the Ulster man kicked the visitors into the lead from 40 yards.

After that, though, Munster took control. The makeshift front-row of the admirable 21-year-old Stephen Archer, Denis Fogarty and Julien Brugnaut wasn’t rock steady against the powerful Ulster unit but possession from the tight was acceptable while O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Alan Quinlan and the impressive Denis Leamy excelled in the line-out. Munster piled on the pressure and eventually made the vital breakthrough as David Wallace powered his way over for a try; O’Gara converted for a 14-10 interval lead.

Ulster began the second half in explosive fashion with a brilliant attack begun deep in their own 22 and only thwarted at the other end by a matter of inches. Strangely though their challenge wilted after that.

Munster stepped up a gear and within six minutes a beautiful flat pass by O’Gara gave Keith Earls just about enough space to squeeze over in the left corner. Munster were now in command, the Thomond Park crowd (estimated at around 17,000) found their voices and from there to the finish it was all about the fourth and bonus try.

It finally came at the death from Paul Warwick, who again looked a class apart, and players and fans alike set off to mark Halloween in more confident mood. But McGahan insisted: “we haven’t become a great side after this evening’s win but at least we’re going in the right direction.”

MUNSTER: P Warwick; I Dowling, L Mafi, J de Villiers, K Earls; R O’Gara, T O’Leary; J Brugnaut, D Fogarty, S Archer; D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell (capt); A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy.

Replacements: D Varley for Fogarty (69); N Ronan for Wallace (76).

ULSTER: C Schifcofske; T Nagusa, P Wallace (capt), D Cave, A Trimble; I Humphreys, I Boss; T Court, N Brady, BJ Botha; E O’Donoghue, R Caldwell; S Ferris, W Faloon, C Henry.

Replacements: S Danielli for Nagusa (51); A Kyriacou for Brady (63); B Young for Court 64; P Marshall for Boss 64. Yellow card: D Cave (75).

Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU).