O’Brien targeting run to Bilbao ahead of Exeter reunion

The Reds take on the Chiefs in a knockout clash on Saturday. 

Sean O'Brien at Munster training on Thursday. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Sean O’Brien credits Rob Baxter and Exeter Chiefs with rescuing his rugby career, and his former team-mates as some of his best friends yet the Munster back will return to Sandy Park this Saturday with a Challenge Cup victory at the top of his priority list.

As difficult as demotion from the Champions Cup to the second-tier European competition was to swallow for a club whose participation in the premier event is a keystone of its identity, there is a serious appetite within the squad and management to plot a course for the EPCR finals weekend in Bilbao on May 22-23, starting this Saturday in Exeter.

“It's a knockout game. It's still an important game for the club,” O’Brien said on Thursday. “We know it's not where we want to be. We want to be in the Champions Cup and pushing on in the later rounds there, but the reality is we're not there this year and if the Challenge Cup is there in front of us to be won, we're going to do our very best to go out and win it.

"Especially with the behind-the-scenes case at the minute with the voluntary redundancies, we're very aware of what's going on and it's tough but all we can do is go out and try and do as well as possible on the pitch and bring in more for the club and hopefully avoid things like this in the future."

That his former club stands between O’Brien, 27, and his objective is unfortunate because Exeter Chiefs still hold a special place in his heart. After his career stalled at Connacht, the Westmeath player and former Ireland Under-20 was at a crossroads with professional rugby, so the opportunity to join an English Premiership powerhouse and recent Champions Cup-winning club was manna from heaven.

"There were a few months where I didn't really know what I was going to be doing and I was kind of thinking of every possible scenario,” O’Brien said of that time in the 2020-21 campaign. “Then Exeter just took a punt on me.

"The first year, year and a half, was a bit slow and then towards the end I started to play a lot more and was getting a lot more comfortable over there. I would have been happy enough to stay there, only it was Munster that came knocking, so I was never going to say no to that."

O’Brien is fully aware of the challenge a visit to Sandy Park poses for a club built in the image of his former Director of Rugby Baxter, at the Chiefs’ helm since 2009 having delivered two PREM titles in addition to the biggest prize in European club rugby.

"I think when most people think of Exeter Chiefs they think of Rob Baxter. He's the face of the club and he runs it very well in fairness to him.

"They've transitioned a few times and every time they've come out of it better off and there's been a lot of difficult times over the years.

"I think what they instil over there really is just hard work and commitment. He does a good job of getting everybody to buy into it as well because there's a good balance over there.

"He'll reward you for working hard but it's also the bare minimum over there, working hard and being fully committed. There is a good social balance over there as well and it keeps lads bought in. He knows how to manage players I guess."