Decisions that will shape Munster’s season

THIS could well prove the most crucial week in Munster’s season.

With just one game left before the pivotal Heineken Cup pool game in Toulon, Munster have key issues in selection and tactical approach to address. That is why this week’s preparation in training and the match against the Glasgow Warriors on Saturday night in Musgrave Park assume critical importance.

While Jerry Flannery’s latest injury setback is a massive blow, overall Munster are in a pretty decent position on the injury front for this stage of the season. The only thing that could have been improved upon was game time for Paul O’Connell. Had he not been sent off against the Ospreys, it’s reasonable to assume he would have had at least two full games behind him with the certainty of also starting against Glasgow this weekend.

However, it is what it is and as I stated after Munster’s flattering victory over Ulster last Saturday, I would make the decision now to start O’Connell against Toulon in any case. By making it clear to all and sundry in the squad that the captain starts, he can assume a more central role in the preparation for the game in France and therefore start setting the ground rules for what promises to be another epic Heineken Cup encounter.

Regardless of your standing in the group, it is difficult to influence matters in the build-up to a game when you know you won’t be starting. It is only natural to stand back and let those in the decision-making roles to impose themselves. For that reason alone — and there are plenty more compelling ones — if I was in Tony McGahan’s shoes, I would make it very clear from an early stage this week that O’Connell starts in Toulon.

Having made that call, it is vital then to include the other key decision-makers in identifying how best to beat the Toulon. Currently sixth in the French championship, Jonny Wilkinson’s charges enjoyed a 38-26 win over Biarritz last Sunday despite trailing at the break. For some reason they seem to be slow out of the blocks, a factor that a team of Munster’s experience should seek to capitalise on. To do that they must control possession and therefore it is crucial that they improve their set piece play as a matter of urgency. The return of O’Connell will aid this process.

The other key decision will revolve around who Munster select at No 6 in the injury enforced absence of James Coughlan and Alan Quinlan. Donnacha Ryan was originally picked in that role for the game against Ulster indicating that McGahan is seriously considering him for that role. What a back row of Denis Leamy, David Wallace and Niall Ronan offers in terms of additional pace is offset by the lack of a frontline ball winner at the tail of the lineout. Quinlan has been a key factor in that role for over a decade.

Toulon are not renowned for their flashy play and generally rely on the boot of Wilkinson to establish field position and kick points either by means of drop goals or penalties. They looked far from world beaters in Thomond Park and Munster must not make the mistake of paying them too much respect on their home patch. From this perspective, they should follow the lead of Leinster when they recently travelled to Clermont and had the home coach Vern Cotter complaining that they sensed a lack of respect from their opposition. That is exactly what is required.

Ryan would add to Munster’s ball-winning capacity and could also be crucial to the role played by Sam Tuitupou. The New Zealander can only play one way — direct, so therefore you either give him quick ball off the middle or tail of the lineout, which Ryan could provide, let him cross the gain line and play from there. We have seen brief glimpses of an off loading game from Tuitupou but either those around him aren’t reading him properly or it isn’t happening often enough. Either way his partnership with Keith Earls doesn’t seem to have clicked.

Ironically during his period of suspension Munster were forced to play Johne Murphy in midfield (Lifeimi Mafi was suspended at the same time) with Earls and Munster managed to score six tries in that 45-18 win over Toulon in round two. Admittedly four of those were scored by forwards but Doug Howlett also got two. At present Munster are not getting the ball into Howlett’s hands often enough as the former All Black looks in devastating form when in possession. There were also flashes of the pace that Paul Warwick offers from full back — his most effective position in my opinion — against the Ospreys in round three of the Heineken Cup at Thomond Park and most recently in that breakout from Denis Leamy’s wonderful crossfield kick against Ulster. He is deceptively quick and that pace needs to be exploited in attack on a more consistent basis. That is why there needs to be more variety in the way Tuitupou operates in midfield. If he cannot offer that then Mafi must come back into the equation. He did make an impact coming off the bench on Saturday night but he badly needs to tighten up on his discipline.

THE scrum has attracted enough column inches at this stage but it seems clear that Tony Buckley still offers the best option at tight head and needs to be encouraged and worked on. He too made an impact on Saturday night and can do a job once he gets his head around what is required. Munster could also help themselves a little bit more by going for quick channel one ball in specific areas on the field and getting the ball away from the scrum immediately.

At times Leamy tends to hold the ball at the base of a scrum under too much pressure. Munster just need to be smarter in how they approach the scrum. Perhaps we are trying to reinvent the wheel. In the not too distant past, when faced with a superior scrummaging eight, the scrum was just locked out on engagement, feet were positioned in such a way that the transfer of the ball from hooker to No 8 was swift and had a clear channel and it was away before the opposition could even think about a second drive.

While I’m at it, one last piece of advice. Denis Leamy should get rid of that white scrum cap. He might as well be wearing a flashing light on his head when entering the breakdown and is far too visible for the referee. Go back to the black one or even the red one and get lost in the crowd. So Saturday night’s game assumes far more importance for me in the context of the Heineken Cup that it does in the Magners League where Munster are already in a commanding position. There are areas to be tweaked that could offer huge benefits with the French trip in mind.