Munster need to revive spirit of the Stoop
There comes a point when you have to say: ‘Enough!’
WHEN Paul O’Connell eventually succumbed to the inevitable and announced his retirement, the tributes to one of the greats of Munster and Irish rugby were all-consuming.
As well as the thousands of words of appreciation, there were a multitude of accompanying pictures to chart a storied career.
And, while images abounded of O’Connell at the centre of great team achievements — notably two European Cup triumphs and the 2009 Grand Slam — the one shot that seemed to best sum up the legendary second row came with no trophy attached.
It showed O’Connell standing, face contorted in snarling defiance, with right arm pointing to the sky to acknowledge Munster’s victory in the 2013 European Cup quarter-final away to Harlequins.
That was a game Munster were supposed to lose.
Harlequins were prohibitive 4-11 favourites having qualified as top seeds, scoring 28 tries in six pool victories, whereas their opponents had scraped into the last eight — bottom seeds after losing two of their pool games.
Munster were in their first season under highly-regarded Kiwi coach Rob Penney and he had ripped up the traditional template of forward attrition and pragmatic point-gathering in favour of a multi-phased, ballhandling approach utilising backs and forwards spread across the pitch.
As a tactical approach, it had its merits.
Rugby was rapidly moving away from its set-piece driven roots into a ruck-based, rugby-league-style game, and it was a policy that would land Celtic League titles for Glasgow, Connacht and Scarlets in years to follow.
But the ‘Penney Way’ did not sit easily with Munster at that time and, too often, the ball would travel ineffectually back and forth with no real inroads being made.
It caused huge debate, with the contention that Munster were wilfully moving away from core strengths, and there was talk of player disillusionment and disharmony between Penney and assistant Anthony Foley, who had designs on the top job.
Thus, an air of doom surrounded the camp ahead of the trip to the Stoop, with a tense midweek press conference in Cork adding to the sense of a province at war with itself.
But, come match-day, Munster displayed a focus and unity of purpose that proved far too intense for Harlequins to handle. O’Connell produced a remarkable, inspirational performance (considering he had come off seven months on the sideline) and his longtime colleague and fellow icon Ronan O’Gara was equally in his element. The 36-year-old out-half controlled affairs with vintage poise and authority — kicking all of Munster’s points in their 18-12 victory. O’Connell and O’Gara were in constant communication throughout an ‘old-school’ Munster victory that harked back to their European Cup heyday. Afterwards, there were strong suggestions that, aware they were staring into the abyss, the players had thrown out Penney’s plans in favour of a return to more direct tactics, believing that was the only way they could do themselves justice.
Munster may not be quite in abyss-edge territory facing the recently crowned European champions in the Pro14 semi-final at the RDS tomorrow, but there is no question defeat would represent a significant setback for a team that has gone seven years without a trophy and is watching Leinster pull away with alarming, and sustainable, velocity.
Once again, they go in as heavy underdogs away from home.
Leinster are rated 3-10 favourites and, while there may not the same need to rebut the direction of Johann van Graan the way there was with Penney, there is an overwhelming requirement for Munster to take ownership of this occasion.
Obliterated by Racing 92 in their European quarter-final and uncertain when scraping by Edinburgh to reach this Pro14 semi-final, Munster need to announce themselves with the same levels of clarity and ferocity that worked so well at the Stoop five years ago.
If Van Graan is to be their guiding light for the foreseeable future (and Munster are craving managerial stability), he has to put his stamp on this season-defining fixture.
While Leinster have been preoccupied with the considerable task of overcoming Racing in Bilbao, Munster have had the time to focus entirely on tomorrow’s challenge — Leinster’s European glory surely adding urgency and determination.
We have constantly been told how impressed everyone is with the coaching of Felix Jones — so, let’s see it when it really counts.
Munster’s backline guru needs to unveil moves to catch the home side unawares while, equally, forwards coach Jerry Flannery must instill the type of feral desire that defined the packs he flourished in during the mid-2000s.
The jury is out on defence coach JP Ferreira after Munster were torn asunder by Racing and this is the day for the South African to oversee the type of indomitable resistance they will need to shock Leinster tomorrow.
Munster may not have totems like O’Connell and O’Gara to call on anymore (with authority at out-half an ongoing concern) but they have world-class successors in Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Keith Earls.
O’Mahony’s role is crucial. The Munster captain is imbued with the O’Connell spirit that carried the province for so long and his heartfelt admission after Bordeaux that he was ‘tired of learning lessons’ should act as a team mission statement.
It is a huge ask against a team high on the confidence that comes with reaching the summit of European club rugby and one that has been mindful of the need not to carry a Bilbao hangover into this contest.
The fact that 1,000 tickets assigned to Munster were returned during the week — on the back of evidence of dwindling attendances in Limerick — adds extra perspective.
The self-styled ‘Brave and Faithful’ are a success-driven entity and there is clearly a sense among them that this game could be beyond their team.
Which highlights the need for the players and management to seize control of their own destiny.
There comes a point when you have to say: ‘Enough!’ and Munster have reached it — if they can act upon it the way they did at the Stoop five years ago, O’Mahony can lead his men to a seminal victory.