Durban victory can spur Munster on in weeks to come, insists O'Brien

A view of training of Munster training in South Africa.  Pic: INPHO/Steve Haag Sports

Following a chastening defeat at the Stormers, Munster will be desperate to get back to winning ways against the Sharks on Saturday and Sean O’Brien believes victory in Durban can spark a run of good results back in Europe in the months ahead.

The Emerging Ireland centre/wing is confident the Reds can benefit from their annual two-game tour to South Africa, just as they have done in the last two seasons despite a first URC loss there last Saturday in three seasons under head coach Graham Rowntree.

A high error count cost Munster for a second match in succession when the Stormers followed Leinster’s lead at Croke Park seven days earlier and cashed with a 34-19 win in Cape Town last weekend.

The defeat sent Rowntree’s team plummeting to 11th place in the 16-team league standings on 11 points from five games. 

Yet with only five points separating the Bulls in fourth place with 15 and the Sharks in 13th, every match point is valuable and a win at King’s Park could send Munster home to Ireland and into the international break with momentum restored.

“The South African trips are massive,” O’Brien said. “They really galvanise you as a squad and I know the last couple of years, the South African trips have given Munster a kick-start to the season.

“Coming home from them, we have gone on good runs. You do feel quite tight as a squad when you are away on tour. All the lads here get on well, so we are not getting in each other’s way or things like that. Everybody seems quite happy out here. The bit of sun always helps.” 

While Munster are coming to the end of their two-week stint in Cape Town, O’Brien, 26, and his fellow Emerging Ireland tourists have been in South Africa for a month. 

The former Connacht and Exeter back was called home to face Leinster on October 12 but barely had time to unpack before heading down over the Equator once more with his province and he is going to miss the spring sunshine there when the squad departs on Sunday.

“I don’t know if I can bring it home but they know how to cook their meat over here anyway. A lot of good steaks and things like that are being eaten.

“I’m not sure if I will be able to take any of it home but I enjoy the food here, the sun – we are close to the beach here in Cape Town.

“We go down to the sea in the afternoon after training and get a bit of recovery in there. Obviously don’t spend too long in the sun but we are still trying to make the most of it. We don’t get too much of it back in Ireland.”