HE’S FORGIVEN
Players stand with Grobler, says O’Mahony
SKIPPER Peter O’Mahony has insisted Munster are standing by Gerbrandt Grobler, despite the past week’s heavy criticism of the province for signing the convicted doper last July. Banned for anabolic steroid use in 2014, South African Grobler (pictured) was signed six months ago on a one-year deal from Racing 92, the Paris club he made his comeback with after his suspension expired. However, an ankle injury that required surgery following a pre-season friendly at Worcester meant Grobler’s presence in Limerick didn’t become a controversy until he was declared fit for action last week. He wasn’t involved in the Champions Cup loss on
JUST 80 minutes now stand between Johann van Graan and his inclusion on the fivestrong list of coaches who have guided Munster to 16 European Cup quarter-final appearances.
A win over Castres on Sunday in Limerick will see the South African secure the club’s 17th lasteight ticket and gain membership to the club headed by Declan Kidney, who has seven pool qualifications to his name. Alan Gaffney (three), Tony McGahan (three), Rob Penney (two) and Rassie Erasmus (one) fill out the roll, but Van Graan’s induction will be quickest of them all.
When Munster visited Castres in France last October in round one, he had only flown into Limerick that morning to prepare for an introductory week shadowing Erasmus before officially taking over the reins a month later.
‘It was the day before the hurricane [Ophelia] and I watched the match in the hotel next door,’ he recalled of the draw that has helped Munster claim pole posicompetition tion heading into this Sunday’s pool finale at Thomond Park.
Munster go into the match, which Van Graan believes will go down to the wire, in upbeat mood despite last Sunday’s defeat in Paris to Racing, the other French team still in the Pool 4 qualification equation.
The loss three days ago was the province’s third in their new coach’s eight-match reign. However, with Munster scoring three tries in every one of those reversals, he knows they have the scoring power to come out the right side of the result and draw a line under their run of three defeats in four cup and league matches this side of Christmas.
‘We spoke about it. I don’t think there is anything wrong with ability. Sometimes you have to give the opposition credit as well,’ he said, reflecting on their latest setback.
‘We’re creating opportunities. We came back from 10-0 and 18-7 away from home and put that into leads. It’s just a bit of decision-making and we need to improve as a group. We are seeing it in a very positive light.
‘We need to win on this weekend to stay alive in this [European] and hopefully later in the season — and in the years to come — when we find ourselves in similar positions we will handle it better.’
Just one of the eight qualification berths have been filled after five rounds of matches across the five Champions Cup pools. It sets up an intriguing weekend of round six action. However, even though three pools are set to be concluded on Saturday before Munster’s Sunday lunchtime date, Van Graan insists he won’t be caught up in the thrills and spills taking place elsewhere.
‘I’m going to watch nothing else, just focus on our game,’ he claimed. ‘It’s pretty important that we get a win on Sunday. We are in control of our own destiny. We need a win, we need to play well. It will be a high-pressure environment, two teams that can still qualify. We need to play well, prepare well and have a good 80 minutes. Not focus on the win too much, focus on the process throughout the week.’
That process commenced yesterday in a wet Limerick. Skipper Peter O’Mahony was kept off his feet as he worked with medical staff on his ankle while Conor Oliver and Mike Sherry were both registered for Europe in place of injured Liam O’Connor and Mark Flanagan who returned to Saracens in December following his short-term loan.
Discipline was again a central part of the post-mortem following the loss in Paris, Munster’s penalty count reaching double figures for the fifth outing under van Graan, two late infringements costing them the six points off the tee that left them beaten 30-34.
‘There were some bad pictures,’ admitted the coach, hoping they will be better behaved at the weekend when Welsh referee Ben Whitehouse is in charge. ‘We ended up something like 11-all. We will look at everyone individually.
‘There were some that we could have done better. There were some we might not agree with but at the end of the day, we as a squad accept responsibility for those penalties.
‘I’d love to sit here and say we conceded zero penalties over the weekend. There were one or two side-entry from the attack on our ball and on opposition ball. But we accept if we get one wrong and we get blamed for it by the referee, we will accept that. We have got to be better.
‘These games, my appreciation are that it comes down to big moments, big plays and it is pressure.
‘We need to handle the pressure better than our opposition. We need to absorb pressure and you need to convert pressure into points. I believe that will be the same all across Europe this weekend.’