'Big men, powerful set-piece': Leamy knows the challenge Munster face in Bordeaux

Munster's European adventure continues this weekend when they face Bordeaux-Begles in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Munster having been boosted in the past fortnight by the returns from injury of Thaakir Abrahams, Craig Casey, Jean Kleyn, and Oli Jager. PicL Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Denis Leamy believes Munster will have to raise their performance levels yet again from their Champions Cup Round of 16 victory at La Rochelle when they return to France to take on top seeds Bordeaux-Begles this Saturday for a place in the semi-finals,.

Munster have been an upward trajectory since rebounding from consecutive URC defeats to Edinburgh and Glasgow, rescuing their end of season play-off hopes with a victory at Connacht and then turning the tables on Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle last Saturday with a 25-24 Round of 16 victory.

Yet while Munster’s defence coach acknowledged on Tuesday that both those winning performances away from home is money in the bank for his players, he also said the challenge awaiting them at Stade Chaban-Delmas this weekend in a first quarter-final appearance for three years was another step up in challenge.

“The experience is definitely there and it’s something we can always draw on,” Leamy said.

“This group of players have been in difficult places, have won in difficult places. It’s about growing all of those different pieces that help you understand the reasons of how you can win and why you can win on away pitches.

“The group is in a confident mood, we obviously won in a difficult place in La Rochelle last weekend but the challenge going to Bordeaux will be even higher again but it’s one that we are very excited about.” 

Bordeaux-Begles, with former Munster fly-half Joey Carbery at number 10, outgunned Ulster 43-31 at home last weekend with X-factor back-three stars Damien Penaud and Romain Buros among the six try scorers. Munster are also expecting France’s Six Nations player of the championship Louis Bielle-Biarrey to return to the Bordeaux starting line-up following a weekend off.

Munster defence coach Denis Leamy during a squad training session on Tuesday. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

“I was hugely impressed, and like everyone in this building who has watched them right throughout the European Cup would be really, really impressed by what they’ve done over the last season.

“They’ve got an awful lot of quality rugby players, they’ve got big men, they’ve got a powerful set-piece and their ability to transfer the ball at speed is incredible, and I thought you saw all of that against Ulster.” 

Munster look set to be without loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman for the trip to Bordeaux after the Ireland international came off injured just 12 minutes into last Saturday’s game at Stade Marcel-Delfandre.

“It’s a hamstring,” Leamy said. “Jeremy did his hamstring in a scrum the other day unfortunately. That’s about all we know at this point.” 

Josh Wycherley, Loughman’s replacement against La Rochelle, is primed to start his first European match since Munster’s last Champions Cup quarter-final, the goal-kicking shootout loss to Toulouse at Aviva Stadium in May 2022. With Dave Kilcoyne still ruled out through injury, John Ryan may be asked to cover loosehead from the bench though Kieran Ryan and Mark Donnelly offer alternative options.

Loughman’s absence would be the only fresh injury setback in recent weeks, with Munster having been buoyed in the past fortnight by returns from the treatment table for back-three summer signing Thaakir Abrahams, scrum-half Craig Casey, lock Jean Kleyn, and tighthead prop Oli Jager while the reintegration of Ireland frontliners post-Six Nations has also boosted Munster performance levels.

“It’s a really huge lift. Obviously the boys coming back are very experienced. These are guys who have played an awful lot of international rugby and just to have them back, that calming effect, their ability as players and individuals, but also what they bring to the group.

“So, you can’t under-estimate the returning players and what they’ve given to the group.” 

Munster have also welcomed back Chris Boyd to the High Performance Centre for a second stint as a performance consultant. The New Zealander and former Northampton Saints director of rugby had been brought in for a spell before Christmas following the departure of Graham Rowntree as head coach to review the coaching structure and provide a listening post for the assistant coaches.

“We collected Chris after the Glasgow game and brought him back with us,” Leamy said, “so he’s been with us since.”