Tom Farrell knows Munster must be perfect against cream of England's crop

Last season's Munster player of the year Tom Farrell knows a complete performance will be required in Bath.

Munster's Tom Farrell is tackled by Warrick Gelant of DHL Stormers. Pic:  ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Tom Farrell knows there is no way of skirting the issue as Munster prepare to face a powerhouse Bath side at The Rec on Saturday night: it is going to take a “complete performance”.

There are plenty of positives for Farrell and his team-mates to carry with them to England’s west country as they open their first Champions Cup pool campaign under new boss Clayton McMillan. Confidence, the newly minted Ireland centre insisted this week, remained high despite last Saturday’s first defeat under the New Zealander, six rounds deep into the URC campaign at home to the Stormers.

There is also the recent muscle memory within the squad of famous wins on the road in Toulon and, most notably, La Rochelle to fall back on as they go to the home of the English champions and current PREM frontrunners. Add to that the comfort blanket of a committed and passionate travelling support who have contributed immeasurably to the feelgood factor on the pitch in foreign fields, and one that is sure to resurface as the latest European journey gets underway in the tight, old-school confines of The Rec.

Yet nor is there any escape from the reality that Bath currently presents a considerable challenge thanks to the transformation they have undergone since Johann van Graan left Munster to kick-start a well-resourced rejuvenation that has seen the club go from Premiership basement dwellers to genuine Champions Cup title contenders in three seasons.

For Munster’s player of the year for last season, his first since joining from Connacht, the requirement is clear.

"Just a complete performance,” Farrell said. “We can't really rely on one aspect of our game.

"It probably won't be enough. We're going to need every aspect of our game, our attack, our defence, our set-piece, everything firing because if one of them is missing, it probably won't be enough going over here, to be honest.

"We're fully aware of it. I was only watching their game against Sarries (a 36-29 win at Saracens last Sunday).

"Even the names they have on paper, but some of the lads who weren't even in the 23, we know that they're probably going to come in this week and add even more depth that they have."

Farrell agreed that Bath are the cream of the crop in England presently, the apex of a rugby system that is feeling very good about itself right now given the national side’s 11-Test winning streak.

"They really are,” the 32-year-old said. “They can roll out two different forward packs and they're just as good as each other, a whole backline as well.

"They have the ability to play in tight and rumble through the middle but then some of their backs are the full international backline as well to go with it, so it's the full array.

"Playing against (van Graan) teams when he was in charge, it was always tough to play against. They're always well-organised, gnarly teams and hard to beat."

Last Saturday’s defeat to the Stormers might have derailed Munster before they left boarded the flight to Bristol en route to their Bath hotel on Friday. They lost a 21-6 half-time lead, suffered a pummeling at the scrum and failed to trouble the scoreboard after the interval.

Yet Farrell explained the loss had been quickly addressed and there was no abiding collateral damage.

"It hasn't really affected the mood or confidence at all really. We're definitely not complacent by any means.

"We spoke about it (on Monday) morning, in mini-group meetings, just saying, what does this do for the next 10-week block? It doesn't really change what we set out to do.

“A small blip obviously, but there were lots of good parts in that Stormers game that we were actually happy with. A lot of metrics and stuff in the game, a lot of key figures and stats and things that we were happy with and it was just, we probably lost our way a bit in that last 30 minutes or so. But it doesn't change a whole lot to be honest."

If that was the emotional and mental side of the equation boxed off, the on-pitch improvements needed demanded a little more attention, particularly at set-piece time, Farrell conceded, "I thought the first 45 minutes, definitely the first half in particular, our attack was quite good. We were making good inroads, getting a lot of good yards down the edges and getting in behind them.

"Then probably the improvement, it's obvious our scrum or our set-piece needs to improve this week because Bath will probably be the same, if not a bigger step up in terms of set-piece. That will be the main area.” 

Farrell ended on a bullish note, adding: “We've a lot of belief going over.

“Like I said, the Stormers game, there were some good things in that game, I know from the outside looking in, people mightn't think that, but there was a lot of passages in that game that we were happy with, so we're not beating ourselves up too much about it.

"We're definitely not being complacent about it either, but we'll take good learnings from it."