Denis Leamy: 'Every game we have played has almost been a cup final mentality'

Munster will be looking to claim silverware for the first time since they won this competition under a former guise back in 2011.

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Attack Coach Mike Prendergast with Head Coach Graham Rowntree and Defence Coach Denis Leamy

Just days on from that epic Champions Cup final and the theories abounding around Leinster’s loss to La Rochelle already number the familiar claim that the province simply wasn’t battle-hardened for a contest of that intensity.

That’s for another day now. Another season. What’s obvious as Munster face into their URC decider away to the Stormers this Saturday is that Graham Rowntree’s men will be able to lean on a schedule that has been equal parts brutal and beneficial.

Their last home game was played at the end of March. It’s been a roll call of city breaks since. Durban (twice), Cape Town, Glasgow, Dublin. And now Cape Town again. Rowntree himself has credited these road trips with hardening the squad for the hard yards still to come.

Denis Leamy touched on the same theme yesterday. The defence coach admitted that a URC decider wasn’t part of the plan when the new staff took over the offices in Limerick last, but they are steeled to heightened ambitions now.

“It has felt like a lot of these games have been almost that cup final mentality,” he explained. “We haven’t played many games that didn’t have huge significance. Every game we have played has almost been a cup final mentality.

“So, to get to the actual final and to have something available that is tangible at the end of this game is fantastic. The process of going through that huge battle that it’s going to be, well that’s the challenge and that’s the stuff that we are really excited about.”

Munster Defence Coach Denis Leamy.

This exposure to such elemental occasions might help in another way given more than half of the 30-man squad has never featured in a decider of any kind in that red jersey. Only 13 have that much on their CVs as they take on the reigning champions.

There may be 2,000 Munster supporters in the DHL Stadium at the weekend. That leaves another 53,000 who will be cheering on their hosts and Leamy understands the need for good messaging and correct tones around the collective right now.

The cliched ‘game-by-game’ focus can’t but jar in a public setting but it’s a mantra that they seem inclined to continue as they look to claim silverware for the province for the first time since they won this competition under a former guise back in 2011.

“We’re very lucky in terms of having a lot of experience in the room in terms of winning silverware. I mentioned Pete earlier, he's won a lot with Ireland, Conor's won a lot with Ireland. You look at the World Cup winners, RG Snyman, Malakai Fekitoa.

“You even take it back to someone like Graham Rowntree who has won so much himself, so it is important that we control that environment a bit and use the experiences of the guys who have played in big finals.”

This is their third trip to Africa inside two months but there are no long faces after the latest long-haul. The squad is settled in its base and they are training with a full deck that includes Jean Kleyn and Ben Healy who have had to come through return-to-play protocols.

RG Snyman, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash and Malakai Fekitoa are all good to go having missed the Leinster game. Munster have overcome all sorts of obstacles in recent weeks. Sailing in such calm waters – for now – must make a nice change.

“It gives us a really hard decision to make in the next few days over who are the best 23 to represent Munster,” said Leamy. “That’s a great challenge to have because at times over the season it felt like we were down to bare bones.”