After a rare opening day Heineken Cup defeat for Munster, questions are being asked of Tony McGahan’s squad

Frankie Sheahan attempts to answer some of them.

Q: Should the old guard return for Munster on Saturday?

A: “The first game away from home is always a difficult one, and Munster will be pleased to have gotten a bonus point. It’s great to have a very strong squad where they were able to bring the likes of Marcus Horan, John Hayes – and in particular David Wallace, who played very well – off the bench. He made the very important line-break which ultimately setup the bonus-point score. It’s all about balance, and the big thing is not guaranteeing any fella his position. The front row is good and competitive, Tony Buckley did well against London Irish and Jerry Flannery is back in the mix now, so there could be a change there. I’d be anticipating Wallace coming back into the frame somewhere in the back row – but I’m not sure at whose expense.”

Q: Is the Munster’s lineout as bad as some are claiming?

A: “I don’t think the lineout was that bad, though it’s an area certain people have jumped on. How many did we lose the last day, three? Three lineouts, think about that, that’s a very small number. Plus, London Irish have one of the best defensive units in the game, in Bob Casey and Nick Kennedy. Yes if you have a few small things like a crooked throw, the hooker will address that himself, but I don’t think it’s a big concern overall. You can have the likes of Mick O’Driscoll and Alan Quinlan on your bench if you need to add to your lineout. I don’t think we need to panic at all in that regard. Donncha O’Callaghan and Donnacha Ryan offer an awful lot in the second row, but you are sacrificing Micko, who’s an out-and-out jumper at four and has called the lineout for a long time. Having said that, it depends on the game, and what balance the coach wants.”

Q: Where are the Munster tries going to come from?

A: “There’s no doubt Munster need to bounce back against Toulon on Saturday. They’ll be very hard on themselves this week as they’ll be very disappointed after losing, but they’ll focus on what’s in their control. Very few players know before they go out onto the field where the try is going to come from. The tries could come from absolutely anywhere, forwards bundling it up the middle, or going out wide for Keith Earls. All the players can control, though, is the intensity, precision and motivation they bring to it. There was only one try scored in the Leinster game; when teams like that know each other very well they’ll have done the video analysis, they’ll know the way each player steps and hands off, and that means there’s very little space there. Prior to that there was no issue to scoring tries, and I don’t think it’s an issue now. The losses of Tomás O’Leary and Lifeimi Mafi haven’t helped, but it’s great to see Earls back in the frame looking sharp, he’ll only get better with time – no matter what system they’re using, he’s a match-winner. Munster will do an awful lot of homework on Toulon, they’ll have a very good idea about the way they play. But towards the end of the week they’ll be looking to put that aside and dictate the game, and impose their own game on Toulon.

* Munster great Frankie Sheahan spoke with Alan Good at an event to mark the return of the Guinness Area 22 to Limerick. The Guinness Area 22 Rugby Supporters Village will take centre stage in Limerick this weekend for Munster’s clash with Toulon near the following bars in the Thomas Street and Catherine Street area; The Stillhouse, Mickey Martins, Aubars and Bourkes.

Guinness Area 22 will be the place for Munster supporters to be before and after the game.

All those Over 18 are welcome to come along and check out the atmosphere.