ROARING BACK
Munster and Leinster reclaim European top-table status and state title intentions with storming quarter-final victories
YESTERDAY was like old times for Irish provincial rugby. Not since 2012 had Ireland managed to get two teams qualified for the European semi-finals, but there were Munster and Leinster leading the fightback against financially stronger French and English opposition to set up a bumper last-four weekend in three weeks’ time.
Munster will face either Saracens or Glasgow and Leinster are set to take on Clermont or Toulon.
The pair’s rejuvenated form is a boost for a Champions Cup that has suffered from not having the Irish punch above their weight, last season the first since 1997/98 that no province reached the quarterfinals of the main competition.
However, grave worries the tournament’s business end would become an Anglo-French preserve can now be emphatically dismissed, nearly 80,000 spectators roaring approval as Irish rugby fired its riposte over four or so compelling hours in Dublin and Limerick yesterday afternoon.
First up were four-try Leinster at the Aviva, the Pro 12 leaders seeing off Premiership table-toppers Wasps 32-17 before Munster followed in kind at Thomond Park, with their four tries helping to dismiss Toulouse 41-16.
For Leinster, the reward is a ninth semi-final appearance, a fourth in France. For Munster, their 12th last-four qualification reward is potentially greater as it could herald a fourth “home” semi-final in Dublin if defending champions Saracens are the opposition. Quite a development in a campaign that began with the sudden loss of head coach Anthony Foley.
‘The dice has fallen nicely for us,’ said Munster coach Rassie Erasmus. ‘We have managed to get to the semi-final and we would be stupid not to try and see if we can go one better. There has been a lot of luck involved but there has been a lot of hard work which has been paying off. That’s nice.’
Especially yesterday. Having lost Conor Murray to a shoulder injury in Friday’s captain’s run, Duncan Williams with just his third European start 16 days short of his 31st birthday, Munster then lost skipper Peter O’Mahony (dead leg), Keith Earls (back) and CJ Stander (ankle) to second-half injury.
However, despite only being