Downey: This team is going to take risks

There will be serious reflection but Munster coach Rob Penney has no real time available to spend thinking on what went right and wrong in Munster’s Rabo defeat to arch-rivals Leinster at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

For him, of far more importance is to shape the destiny of the team this weekend as they travel to Paris for another examination of their credentials. The big difference is that this time it will be in a far more important European context.

For many years now Munster have been able to put such setbacks behind them, safe in the knowledge that a game against the Heineken Cup champions, even if it ends in defeat, is as good a dress rehearsal as they’re likely to get.

Yes, Munster will look back with regret but Leinster’s victory was deserved, even though they could have snatched a win had a couple of decisions gone in their favour.

Replacement back James Downey pointed out, for instance, that referee Leighton Hodges might have been better advised to go “upstairs” when Casey Laulala snapped up a loose ball to dot down in the 67th minute.

A converted try for Munster would have put them within sniffing distance and a subsequent penalty would surely have offered prospects of victory instead of an outside chance of picking up a bonus point.

Even then, Downey questioned the wisdom of not taking the opportunity to kick for goal and secure a losing point, but he did emphasise that risk was the way forward for this squad.

“Maybe we should have taken the three points but that’s the way we want to play,” he said. “We went to the corner to try to get the try. That’s the way it is. If that had gone over and Casey’s try had gone upstairs, maybe that would have been the difference, but anyway, we’re up for a very big game again next week.

“It would have been better if we came away with something. We let them in for a couple of easy scores but we’re not far off. If we get a good result in France next week it’s going to be a momentum thing.”

Penney had mixed feelings as well, citing the fact that commitment was never a problem but accuracy was.

“At the end of the day you can’t make errors against a side like that and expect to get away with it,” he said.

“I thought we approached the game really well. We fairly ripped into the game but Leinster will make you pay more than anyone for mistakes.

“We made too many errors to get a result from that game.”