Donal Lenihan: Can O'Gara succeed where Munster have so dismally failed?

O'Gara and La Rochelle will be looking to get one over Leinster, something that Munster have failed to do so often.

Tue, 24 May, 2022 - 21:00

Donal Lenihan (Inside Rugby)

AFTER the high of the Aviva Stadium, the low of the Aviva Stadium. Two weeks can be an eternity in sport. On a day when 100 minutes of captivating action was topped off with the drama of a penalty shootout, Munster fans spilled out onto the leafy suburbia of Lansdowne Road after the Champions Cup quarter final pumped to the gills with a mixture of pride and connection to where they come from.

Fast forward to last Saturday and with eleven of the Munster side that started against Toulouse pitted against a mix of Leinster’s second and, in some positions, third choice players, a clear pathway towards a home URC quarter and potential semi-final was a tangible expectation for the Munster faithful returning to Dublin 4. After all, not a single starter from Leinster’s convincing defeat of Toulouse in their Champions Cup semi final was pressed into action in this one.