Quinlan truly top of the Premier league

THE trip to San Sebastian might have ultimately disappointed but Alan Quinlan has made many a fruitful trip to Dublin with Munster and Ireland and last night’s visit to the capital was up there with the best of them.

For 30 or so years, the Tipperary Association has been honouring a select few of its sons and daughters with the title of ‘Person of the Year’, and it was the Munster flanker’s turn to take the plaudits this time.

A native of Limerick Junction, Quinlan follows in the footsteps of Pat Shortt who received the honour in 2009, as well as a lengthening line of sportsmen and women, academics, community activists and prominent business people.

“I’m delighted,” he said. “It means a lot. To be honoured by my own people if you like, the people of Tipperary, is very special. I have had a good few awards throughout my career but this is right up there. It’s very nice.”

No doubt, talk turned to his days playing rugby with Clanwilliam, soccer with St Michael’s and hurling and football with Arravale Rovers but the ink isn’t long dry on last Sunday’s result so Biarritz got a good airing as well.

Munster manager, Shaun Payne, was hearted in training by the squad’s response to the defeat yesterday but the disappointment lingers and Quinlan is still pained by the fact that they didn’t travel to Spain with their A-game.

“At that stage of the competition you are going to be playing against top quality teams and, for one reason or another, that didn’t happen last Sunday,” he said prior to the awards.

“We have been through it before, unfortunately, and there is not a whole lot you can do. For some of us, it is an opportunity lost. You might never get that opportunity again but you just have to try and move on.

“We are paid professionals and you just have to do the best you can for the rest of the season. We have a big game away now on Sunday to Cardiff and we have to try salvage something.”

As much as Munster – and Leinster and Connacht – would wish to leave the events of last weekend in the past, aspects of all three performances threaten to haunt Irish rugby longer than the results themselves.

Problems in the scrum were apparent on Friday, Saturday and on Sunday. Given the national team’s well-documented troubles in the same department, the bigger picture isn’t all that encouraging.

“There is a concern. Our scrum was very strong against Northampton and that was an area we wanted to be very strong against Biarritz. The French place a huge emphasis on the scrum.

“They do have a lot more money. It is not an excuse but that can buy a lot of quality and they can have a lot of back-up. We are a bit thin on the ground.”

Quinlan believes there are grounds for optimism within the next generation of Irish props but their progress is hampered by the understandable need for provincial coaches to recruit from abroad in the short term.

“You can’t put in younger players into a high-intensity Heineken Cup game straight away so it is a bit of double-edged sword but it has been something that has been spoken about.

“We were disappointed with our scrum the last day but it wasn’t just the props. It was the whole eight forwards as a unit. We didn’t work well and it cost us because we didn’t have a platform to attack from.

“We lost the lineouts as well and we all have to take ownership of that. With the back line we had out on Sunday we wanted to give our backs good first-phase possession and that didn’t happen.”

The only prospect of redemption for Munster this season lies with next Sunday’s visit to Cardiff’s City Stadium where a win or a draw would guarantee the reigning Magners League champions a place in the play-offs.

A losing bonus point may also be enough but, with Edinburgh also still in the frame, it is a somewhat confusing jumble of permutations.

“You just have to try and win it,” was Quinlan’s very simple summation.

“It’s in our favour. We are well capable of winning the game and the pressure is on them because they have to chase the game a bit and maybe go for a bonus point themselves.

“We have to play sensible rugby, perform and make good decisions. It is important as a group that we finish the season strongly. It would be a shame if we weren’t to make the top four.”