THE words of Munster coach Tony Mc Gahan ahead of this weekend’s massive Magners League clash against rivals Leinster. The fans, the media and the dog on the road have been building this game up as the chance for Munster to avenge their last five defeats in a row. Mc Gahan, of course, was playing down the five losses, forgetting about the past, focusing more on the this coming fixture in it’s own right.
“The derby game is always a challenge regardless of where we are at. Regardless of whether it is the Magners League, Heineken Cup, under 20’s, ‘A’ games whatever. This clash brings out in the best in both sides. You are always looking to win.”
There is no getting away from the five defeats however. The taste still lingers in the mouth. With Leinster having the upper hand as far back as the Heineken Cup semi final in 2009, Munster need to improve drastically before this weekend. Tony Mc Gahan agrees.
“The onus is on us to improve. We have to improve from where we have been. It is a must win for us. There is no way we can afford to lose this game. We have worked too hard to let all that go with a loss. The be all and end all is Saturday evening. The Leinster game is a lot more than just the competition”
Munster have been on a run of form themselves. Four wins in a row have made the Munster men the form team in the Magners and they now possess a 12 point lead over this weekend’s rivals.
Speaking of form, Munster’s on form captain Paul O’Connell will lead the red army this weekend and he feels that the balance between aggression and smart rugby is the key. “We need to eradicate some of the clumsy things that have cost us points, in the last few games. Obviously this weekend is a massive game for us. The start of our week will be all about our game. We will talk about the Leinster elements later on. Of course there is more spice to a Leinster game. Rivalries the World over are like that. We will be going out and giving everything on Saturday in a must win game for us”.
Looking ahead to the game, it is easy to see what Munster need to do to win. Doing it on the day will be a whole different matter. Leinster have won the last few encounters by kicking intelligently and refusing to play in their own 22. Munster will need to win up front first for O’Gara to do likewise for the men in red. If Jones gets the nod at 15, Munster will then look to counter attack with Earls, Howlett, Murphy and co. From inside Leinster’s half. The opening minutes will be tight, but one score will open the game up. Munster to win by a kick and end this awful run of defeats to the old enemy.
