BRING IT ON!
Irish clubs back among Europe’s elite but Mako stands in Munster’s way
IRISH rugby is hoping for a bright new dawn this weekend as Munster and Leinster seek to win their Champions Cup semi-finals and set up just the second all-Ireland European final in 22 seasons.
Provincial rugby was wallowing in the doldrums just a year ago after no Irish side reached the knockout stages for the first time since 1998.
Munster and Leinster’s twopronged fightback has since gripped the imagination, a combined sellout attendance of 91,000 set to watch them do respective battle with champions Saracens — who welcome back powerhouse Mako Vunipola from a knee injury — in Dublin this afternoon and tomorrow against Clermont in Lyon.
However, Munster will run out at the Aviva facing an enemy from within, Saracens boss Mark McCall. The 1999 cup-winning Ulster skipper admitted the Londoners have modelled their back-to-back titlechasing club on the recipe that saw the Irish dominate and win five trophies in seven years.
‘Eight years ago, when this project began, Munster, Leinster, Wasps, Leicester of old, they were the teams that you wanted to model
your club on because of the consistency and the continuity in the people they had,’ said the ex-Ireland centre who took charge at Saracens in 2011 after initially assisting Brendan Venter.
‘Saracens’ history prior to that was just this turnover of people and it didn’t work. There was a lot to learn from Munster and Leinster… the strongest thing we have is the relationships that exist now and that is vital, a hallmark of the success of Munster and Leinster of old. Saracens didn’t have that because they chopped and changed so often.’
McCall added his utmost respect for Munster’s renaissance following the mid-October death of head coach Anthony Foley, his former Ireland teammate.
‘It’s been remarkable, a masterclass in how to deal with something so terrible. I don’t know how they did it but they did. They have shown some real class in the weeks and months after that tragedy.’
Munster’s return to the Aviva is a retracing of their steps when Foley was last present at a match, the October Pro12 loss to Leinster. ‘He was with us in that changing room and then the next week he passed away,’ reminisced Rassie Erasmus last night ahead of the province’s record 12th semi-final appearance.
‘He would be really proud because the guys carry him in their hearts every day. We talk about him. It’s part of our daily training and that would put a smile on his face. Hopefully we can make him proud.’
Bar the unavailable Conor Murray, Munster have chosen from a full deck, Duncan Williams deputising at scrumhalf as he did against Toulouse. The promotion of Andrew Conway ahead of Darren Sweetnam is the only alteration from three weeks ago, but they have gambled on a bench without specialist scrum-half cover.
‘Credit to where our squad is, we have got really tested over the last few days… all you can hope to do is rock up semi-final week of Europe and prepare as well as we can, which I think we did,’ enthused skipper Peter O’Mahony.
‘We need to have the best game this group has ever had to beat a side the quality of Saracens.’
The English champions are braced for a partisan atmosphere despite playing in front of a bumper Wembley attendance just a fortnight ago.
‘It’s completely different, 80,000 people at Wembley, 50,000 of whom are just there for the day, not really supporting anybody. We understand what’s coming in Dublin. It’s going to be a different level.’
Meanwhile, Leinster’s hopes suffered another injury blow, Seán O’Brien failing to make the starting line-up theri semi-final with Clermont in France due to a hamstring tweak. His back row place has gone to in-form Rhys Ruddock, with Fergus McFadden, for Adam Byrne on the wing, the only other change from their quarter-final dismissal of Wasps. Peter Dooley fills in on the bench for suspended Cian Healy, who was cited for an incident during last week’s Pro12 win in Connacht.
Boss Leo Cullen has described his team’s return to the final four for a ninth time as special on the back of last season’s pool drubbing.
‘What an amazing place to be. The last four is where we all want to be, 80 minutes away from the final. The journey has been eventful, but doesn’t that make it all the more sweeter?’