Easter: Irish Six Nations bashing spurred us to victory

CONOR O’Shea may spend most of his time in London these days but he clearly knew enough about Irish and especially Munster rugby to plan and plot their downfall at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Not alone were his Harlequins players well prepared for the stadium’s famed atmosphere and the strong points of the Munster side but he had also utilised some very clever mind games on some of his key men to psyche them up for battle. His captain, Nick Easter, admitted that O’Shea had been needling him almost daily about the manner in which he and his English colleagues had been “battered and bruised” in their Six Nations confrontation with Ireland in March.

Indeed, Easter was so keyed up for this one that he followed one yellow card with another that ensured he would sit out the final 10 minutes.