Old values bring new possibilities for Munster

Glasgow 12 Munster 14: With no frills and few thrills Munster left Glasgow on Saturday night with everything they had hoped for. 

It did not matter they had not reached the heights their talents are capable of scaling, this performance borne of a dogged stubbornness, an admirable collective spirit and a scrappy refusal to be beaten was just as effective in seeing Rassie Erasmus’s side through to the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Whether that gutsiness is enough to propel Munster deeper into the competition is another matter and a debate that can wait for the time being, for Erasmus must now focus on preparing his players for this Saturday’s final pool game, a home encounter with French champions Racing 92. A repeat of the resounding bonus-point victory in the rearranged Paris fixture nine days ago and Munster will give their hopes of reaching the semis a significant boost for it will secure an all-important home quarter-final. The evidence of Racing’s return to form on Saturday night, when they restored pride and collected their first European points of the campaign with a 34-3 win over Leicester Tigers at Stade Yves du Manoir, suggests that will not be the foregone conclusion many thought it might be, particularly given it will mark the return of Ronan O’Gara to Thomond Park.