John Hodnett: 'We just have to be better, it doesn't matter who we are playing'

The upcoming Pool 2 meeting will provide something of an acid test for the Clayton McMillan's early progress to restore silverware to the province’s trophy cabinet

John Hodnett says Munster just need to be better to compete. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

There will be no sense of entitlement when Munster embark on their latest Champions Cup crusade at Bath on Saturday, those days are long gone as far John Hodnett is concerned.

A visit to The Rec, home of the reigning English champions and current league leaders provides all the classic hallmarks of a Munster pool encounter on the road against rugby aristocracy, with the visitors adding to the narrative by losing for the first time these last weekend.

It is a well-worn storyline but Hodnett knows there is no guarantee of a repeat telling this Saturday evening in England’s West Country, nor against the head coach who handed him his Munster senior debut against the Southern Kings, a month past his 20th birthday in February 2020.

Saturday’s reunion with Johann van Graan comes with the South African’s stock never higher after delivering a Premiership and Challenge Cup double in addition to the Premiership Rugby Cup to Bath last season. 

Though Munster have started this campaign well under the new management of Clayton McMillan, the upcoming Pool 2 meeting will provide something of an acid test for the New Zealander’s early progress to restore silverware to the province’s trophy cabinet.

Speaking through the prism of a first losing performance review of the McMillan era following a 27-21 Thomond Park defeat to the Stormers two days earlier, Hodnett was not buying into the backs against the wall victory on foreign soil plotline placed before him.

It was not an alien outline but the West Corkman said: “But you can't rely on that either. We just have to be better.

“You can't just say, ‘because we're Munster’, that kind of old-school thing or whatever about that. We just have to be better, really. It doesn't matter who we're playing.” 

Hodnett added: “It's a big game, don't get me wrong. You always want to do well in Europe. We have a good history in Europe winning away from home in big games. We have a lot of big games coming up but this is definitely all we're focusing on this week.

“You really have to take it day by day and week by week, that's kind of what the plan is.” 

Of that Monday morning review, the flanker said: “Look, we're obviously disappointed. We felt we probably played well enough to win it. We did a lot of things well, but there's definitely areas we need to work on. I think that was kind of the big focus.

"It's good to see where we need to get better. It's exciting now for this week as well because there's a lot to get better and Bath are a very good team. So looking forward to the week now.”