O’Connell: We re-focused after cup loss

ONE year in the European rugby wilderness was enough to hammer home a vivid message to the Munster rugby squad, and skipper Paul O’Connell believes the failure last season to qualify for the last eight of the Heineken Cup has proved a blessing in disguise.

Munster’s Heineken Cup history is littered with tales of glory against the odds, especially when the chips were down. Well, this season the pressure has been on for just about every big game, O’Connell’s transitional side revelling in beating the odds just about every match.

With everyone hurting from the headlines that followed Munster’s Heineken and Amlin Cupdisappointments, it was a difficult 2011 for a team that had broken all quarter-final qualification records in Europe. O’Connell now believes Munster are in a better place. Victory over Castres at Thomond Park onSaturday will be enough to confirm a spot in the knockout stages, and possibly even guarantee a home draw.