Gaffney calls for clinical approach

Munster coach Alan Gaffney wants his side to become more clinical following his side’s 26-3 Pool Five win over Bourgoin which guaranteed their path through to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive year.

The Irish side got the four tries they needed to book a home draw in the last eight but they had to wait until the final minutes to secure their fourth, a penalty try, after a collapsed scrum five metres from the Bourgoin line.

“We should have put them away earlier,” said the Australian, whose side were 12-3 in front at half-time.

“Of course we deserved to win, but I reckon we got a dose of ‘white wine fever’ in the second half but we got the try in the end and maybe we have to be a little more clinical in future games.”

“We spent so much time in their 22 and created the opportunities so it eventually had to come, but credit to Bourgoin – they dug deep and defended well throughout.”

Bourgoin coach Laurent Seigne, in his first game with the club following the sacking of Philippe Saint-Andre last weekend, gave youth its head with 20-year-old full back Fabien Gengenbacher and teenage scrum-half Mickael Campeggia starting.

“We had nothing to play for, but I was satisfied with the effort shown. It has been a difficult time for the club, but we can rebuild and have a good run in the French championship,” said Seigne.

Man of the match Ronan O’Gara, who kicked three conversions, felt his side warranted a bonus point win in a high-pressured game.

“It was a different sort of pressure we felt out there,” he said.

“The focus was to get the four tries and it was slightly worrying at times, that we couldn’t put the opportunities away.

“The important was that we continued to create the chances and while it might have been a nice, home-town decision with the penalty try, we did enough to merit it in the end.”