Rassie Erasmus: We will prepare as normal for Paris
Finding an emotional balance will not be straightforward for coaches, players and support staff as they prepare for the first of three key European fixtures in as many weeks. But their Director of Rugby sounded the right note yesterday.
“Emotionally it’s the week we remember Axel passing away. That will be a challenge for us. But we have had so many weird weeks in the past while we have been sitting down on a Sunday wondering how we were going to tackle the next week.
“It started with the week of the funeral and all the deep discussion about whether we would or not play. So we have had to go on with everything and that is what we will keep on doing. We will try not to do anything different this week and prepare as normal.”
Honouring Foley has been a theme since Glasgow were so memorably accounted for in Limerick the day after the funeral and, though there will be an obvious determination to mark this occasion in a similar manner, Erasmus is keen for his men to carry that load lightly.
“The players see so many serious things in life and sometimes you make rugby one of those,” he explained.
“And it doesn’t have to be. It can be such a thing that you just enjoy it and be honoured to do it.”
This fixture was always going to be testing. Racing may be struggling on both the domestic and European fronts but they are still reigning French champions and, as with all Top 14 sides, they will be determined to uphold their honour on home soil regardless of their low standing in Pool 1.
Add in the renewed focus on Munster’s late coach and the sad memories a weekend in Paris will resurrect and this all adds up to a unique test of a province that has rediscovered itself this season.
“We decided long ago there are certain things we do in the team environment we will do to commemorate him and there are also certain rugby targets within the team in terms of the way we play, the way we talk at video and training sessions,” said Erasmus.
Foley’s passing may return to the fore for the wider public this week but Munster live it every day. Erasmus’ office sits beside that of his old colleague. For him, and everyone else at the club, Foley has never strayed far from their thoughts. “It’s different from every person to manager and medical staff and supporters,” said Erasmus.
“Everyone had a different relationship to Axel so we need to support one another to try to handle it on the best basis for you as an individual. Then collectively, as a team, we know what we are trying to do since that day.
“We’re very much aligned with what we are trying to do on and off the field. So we will pretty much help each other to try to normalise it as much as possible.”
Much has changed since the Paris trip last October.
Munster made that journey on the back of a dispiriting loss to Leinster in Dublin but they return to France on a run of nine wins in their last 10 games across both competitions and one prompted by a conversation involving Foley after that interprovincial reversal.
“We made some adjustments after that Aviva game when we weren’t in the game the last 20 minutes,” said Erasmus.
“We had the sit-down, myself and Axel and the guys, and we talked about a few things that we had to change.
“We were planning to implement them that week and then the game was cancelled... Since then we have developed into a team with ... I wouldn’t say it is the best game plan, a world-class game plan, but it is a game plan everybody believes in and understands.”
Stade Yves-du-Manoir on Saturday will be its sternest test yet.
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