Munster set for emotional homecoming at Thomond Park on Monday

The newly crowned BKT URC champions will be sure to get a huge welcome in Limerick following their 19-14 victory over the Stormers on Saturday.

HOMECOMING HEROES: Munster’s RG Snyman, Craig Casey and Jean Kleyn celebrates with the URC Trophy. Pic Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie

Newly crowned BKT URC champions Munster are set for an emotional homecoming at Thomond Park on Monday evening to mark Saturday night’s 19-14 victory over the Stormers.

Graham Rowntree’s squad left Cape Town on Sunday following their win at DHL Stadium when they shocked the defending champions on their home turf to complete a remarkable run to their first piece of silverware since 2011 having won all three URC knockout rounds on the road as part of a six-match run of away games to finish the season.

Since their heavy Heineken Champions Cup defeat to the Sharks in Durban on April 1, Munster had beaten the Stormers in their penultimate regular season fixture, then come from 22-3 down on 50 minutes to draw league rematch with the Sharks and qualify for both the URC play-offs and next season’s Champions Cup.

Now they will go into this summer’s pool draw as top seeds alongside English title winners Saracens and the still to be decided French champions thanks to those knockout wins in Glasgow, Dublin and Cape Town, where captain Peter O’Mahony and fellow veteran Keith Earls lifted the trophy on Saturday night in front of around 2,000 travelling supporters.

A bigger crowd is sure to be present in Limerick on Monday night when they bring that trophy to Thomond Park, their first appearance at the stadium since March 25.

Munster defence coach Denis Leamy urged his players to relish the opportunity to celebrate their feat, something the two-time Heineken Cup winner said he had not fully appreciated in his playing days.

“Look, it’s so important the boys enjoy this,” Leamy said. “I’ve been part of winning sides myself and I look back I think maybe I didn’t enjoy that enough, maybe I didn’t appreciate it enough.

“I want them and we want them as a coaching group to appreciate that, you know, when they get home to Ireland, meeting their families, meeting the fans, bringing the trophy on a little tour. That’s something we should really enjoy and relish.”