REDS HAVE BELIEF THEY CAN DOWN EURO STARS
MUNSTER coach Johann van Graan insists his men firmly believe they can prevent Leinster’s bid for a historic European and League double.
No team has managed to back up success in Europe’s premier competition by also claiming the domestic crown but van Graan claims his Reds are driven by the need to capture silverware themselves.
But the South African (above) is still full of admiration for the way Leinster battled to victory in the Champions Cup final at the weekend.
He said: “I am a guy who believes you get what you deserve and Leinster deserved to be Champions Cup winners. They won nine out of nine. Well done to them.”
But he insists Munster will not be daunted as they believe in their own ability.
He said: “I don’t need to convince them, they believe it. This is a club that believes in themselves. We cannot control the opposition, in this case it is Leinster, and while we give them all the credit that is due, the players believe it themselves.
“They said after the Racing semi-final game that they want to win a trophy. We believe we can do it, that is the only thing we can control.”
While Leinster won both meetings between the sides this season — they have now won 20 of the last 33 league clashes — van Graan believes there is little to separate the teams.
He added: “They’ve had some really good games and some average games – so have we. My belief in rugby is that every week’s different and this is a whole new ball game.”