Hurley plots containment

MUNSTER’S Denis Hurley could have been a disciple of Jack Charlton in the days when the football coach decreed his Republic of Ireland players used a simple “put ‘em under pressure” tactic to deal with all opposition.

Tonight, in Munster’s Heineken Cup opener at Thomond Park, Hurley believes the pressure game could be central to the prospects of success for the home team against last year’s finalists Northampton Saints. Aware of the potency from Northampton’s back three – Ben Foden, Chris Ashton and probably Vasily Artemyev – Hurley will be just one of a number of players plotting to keep this group under wraps.

Ashton’s strike rate of 88 tries from 100 appearances is astonishing, Foden has scored 20 tries in 84 appearances and Artemyev, the 23 year old Russian winger who represented Ireland at schools and under 19 levels, has hit the ground running for his new club with six tries in four games!