Horan: Losing to Quins sparked right reaction

MARCUS HORAN believes Harlequins could unwittingly have done Munster a favour by winning the Amlin Cup semi-final at Thomond Park a fortnight ago.

The defeat, says Horan, shocked the squad into action and helped prepare them for Saturday’s Magners League battle with the Ospreys, a performance marked by the intensity of a magnificent forward display.

From set piece to broken play, Munster demolished the holders and Horan was particularly proud of his side’s ability at scrum time, an area often perceived as their achilles heel.

Was he surprised at his own performance against Adam Jones and Munster’s general supremacy there? “Jesus no, I rate myself higher than that. We worked really hard at it. We were under no illusions and in some previous games we struggled a bit. But I don’t think those games reflected the work we have done; a lot of it (problems) was upstairs, in our heads, but our heads were right (for this game). We took them on in the forwards right from the start, and that was reflected in the scrums as well.

“Anyone watching Munster in the past few weeks might have felt that bit of spark wasn’t there. We weren’t up to scratch in the Amlin and that was hugely disappointing but it helped us here, it lit a little fire under us. The training we did last Tuesday in Thomond Park when we tore strips out of each other really paid dividends.”

The first scrum set the tone when Munster tore into the Ospreys front row with a perfect engagement and won a penalty. Horan said it was a significant start. “To be perfectly honest, in those types of games when it’s that tight, those penalties can go either way. It is down to the referee. There is a lot of messing going on there, with people trying to find their way in the scrum early on. That penalty was key for us as it got us going.

“We felt strong, we felt good, particularly because they have a great pack and I have huge respect for Adam Jones, a super player. It was a good way of rating ourselves, but we’re not going to go over the top.”

Horan was delighted to get a start in such a big game coming to the end of what has been a difficult season on a personal level. “I’m buzzing for the last couple of weeks. It has been a new challenge for me. Since I’ve been playing here I’ve always been in the team, and the challenge for me was to try and win things.

“But the challenge for me now is to get back into the team and make a difference. The squad system we have here is fantastic with everyone fighting for places. There are good battles for places and that’s healthy. When you go training, you know you can have a cut off each other, and that gives you a great buzz and a great lift. That’s what is driving us on. It’s about the collective, with people fighting for each other, with everyone wanting to see everyone else do well.”

Horan also lauded the Munster fans, especially given the stadium was only half full, with an attendance of 13,300. “To see the terraces empty could have been demoralising, but the noise was impressive. I don’t think we gave them too much to shout about in previous weeks but the crowd that was there was awesome.

“We’re very proud of our supporters, we can understand that they are hurting as well after the disappointments earlier in the season but credit those who were there for this; they were fantastic.”