'It's a great challenge' - Prendergast wants Munster to reproduce Leinster display against Connacht
Senior Coach Mike Prendergast during training. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon.
Munster will not settle for a drop in performance levels when they welcome Connacht to Thomond Park on Saturday on the back of an emphatic bonus-point URC victory at Leinster.
Clayton McMillan’s squad was buzzing after their 31-14 derby win over the reigning champions at Croke Park last weekend as they extended their winning start to the season to four from four with 19 league points collected from a possible 20.
Yet the Munster management was keen to bring their players back to earth ahead of another interprovincial battle this Saturday.
Both provinces will be missing key players with their Ireland squad members unavailable as they prepare for their November 1 Test against New Zealand in Chicago.
Connacht will be without Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham, Caolin Blade, Shayne Bolton and the injured Mack Hansen, while Munster have been denied the services of Thomas Ahern, captain Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey and Jack Crowley as well as uncapped call-ups Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson, both of whom were forced out of the Stateside trip due to injury.
Yet Munster assistant Mike Prendergast said the coaching staff have been clear from the start of the week that players still under their charge need to be at the perfect mental and physical pitch for their latest URC challenge.
“It's like anything, you have absolutely a good win and I think the first thing people look at and talk about is your next game and will you be able to back it up,” the attack coach said.
“I suppose having another interpro, it's a huge challenge and a great challenge and I think that's a challenge for us as a staff.
“We spoke about it, we met early on Monday morning to make sure we get this week right, both physically and mentally, to try and get the players to the pitch that we need to get them at for Saturday.
“I think having another interpro is a really exciting one and a good game to have after this because it's challenging and it will be for the players, of course, because you have to try and get back up there. There'll be a few changes, so you're trying to get that cohesiveness together.
“So there's challenges everywhere, but there's challenges with a very positive feel there as well, which does help. I think the biggest one this week will be mentally getting it there, that we're right on the pitch at the time, that we don't burn too much energy early in the week.
“And because we're under no illusions about what will face us in terms of Connacht, they probably looked at the two games last year, at Thomond Park earlier in the season they went away very disappointed. We felt we probably got away with that one.
“So they'll come down with all guns blazing, no doubt.”
Prendergast echoed head coach McMillan in saying Munster were far from the finished article as they build to bridge the gap to Leinster long-term but the attack coach was pleased with the variety of tries scored at Croke Park and the direction of travel the squad was taking under a new boss.
“I'll be honest, we haven't probably fired on all cylinders in terms of our attack or approach, last day against Leinster was a small bit different in terms of the plan, when to pull the trigger, because there's times there you feel like you can pull the trigger against any team, but you can shoot yourself in the foot at times there as well with a very good defensive side like Leinster.
“But I felt, through our accuracy, we were ferocious in our work rate, in our contacts. There wasn't loads of attack sequences but the few we had, we were quite smart in how we played and whether that was through short kicking or through the hands and through our framework or whatever.
“But it's like anything and the game probably hasn't changed day dot, if you don't get it right up front it's a harder game to play, especially from an attack point of view. And I thought our lineout on the weekend was exceptional. The try Tom Farrell got (collecting a Jack Crowley chip ahead into space), to win the ball at the back there, the accuracy in that, the accuracy in Jack's kick, it is pleasing to see when it comes off, but it's really being on it, and you have to against a team like Leinster and we'll have to again this weekend.
“Things are pleasing. I won't say it's come together. It's very early, four games played, there's 18 games in this league, you've seen teams over the years in all sports starting off really well. So for us, and I know Clayton has mentioned it, it's about consistency and consistency within our habits from day to day, how we train, that's what we're really striving for and to get better at.”
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