Tigers told to stand up to Irish bullies
BACK rower Luke Hamilton believes history can repeat itself in the Champions Cup if Leicester can find a way to stop Munster bossing the breakdown.
Last week’s 33-10 loss to the Irishman at Thomond Park was every bit as onesided as the scoreline suggests, if not more, and the Tigers have it all to do to keep their interest in the Champions Cup knockout stages alive.
The versatile Hamilton started the game at openside and is desperate to put the record straight, as they did in last year’s doubleheader when dusting themselves down from a 38-0 hammering from Munster to win 18-16 at Welford Road seven days later.
The Pembroke-born player said: “We lost the breakdown last week. They slowed our ball down and we probably didn’t slow theirs down enough, so they were coming around the corner with quick ball which meant it was hard, defensively, to get off the line.
“We got bullied a bit in Ireland and that is a challenge for the forwards this week, especially being at home. We have to front up because we need to get a result. It is pretty much win or bust for us.
“When your backs are against the wall and you have just lost, you can come out fighting or it can go the other way. You can find out a lot about your team mates and yourself in those situations. There’s no question the boys will be up for it on Sunday. Munster at home, it doesn’t get much bigger.”
Strong performances between now and the Six Nations will do Hamilton’s chances of playing for Scotland in the Six Nations no harm.
To his frustration, the 25year-old’s debut against the All Blacks at Murrayfield last month came to a premature end.
“I was thoroughly enjoying myself until I had to come off. My foot and ankle got caught underneath me and locked up, I couldn’t get any movement out of it.
“I had a little five-minute argument with the medic about me not going on the buggy, but I lost that one. I was gutted at the time but it’s not the be-all and the end-all, I’m back fit now and hopefully I can put my hand up for selection again.”