Beirne’s special quality in problem position can give Reds a timely lift
RESIGNED to being without their star signing RG Snyman for most of the season, the return of Tadhg Beirne to Munster’s starting line-up this afternoon is timely.
Beirne has not been seen since he fractured his ankle against Saracens at Allianz Park last December, but the 28-year-old is back at lock today alongside Fineen Wycherley, in what could well be Munster’s starting second row combination, moving forward.
It’s been a harrowing few weeks for Johann van Graan and he will have been comforted by the sight of Beirne back in the thick of it on the training paddock in recent weeks. Munster badly needed his return to their ranks.
A ‘jackler’ in modern-day rugby parlance, Beirne is a master at the breakdown and wins turnovers for fun with his blue scrum cap a worrying sight for opposition teams.
More often than not, when the referee penalises a tackled player for failing to release the ball on the deck, it is Beirne who wins the plaudits. That’s his point of difference, but he offers so much more.
And this could be a big few months for Beirne on the Ireland front, too. Test locks are falling like flies around the other provinces and Andy Farrell will be keeping a close eye on the Kildareman’s progress.
Beirne is one of five changes this weekend after the Reds ran Leinster close last time out.
Most of those alterations have been enforced with Snyman, Jean Kleyn, Dave Kilcoyne and James Cronin all out of action, while Chris Cloete comes in for Tommy O’Donnell on the openside flank. The backline is retained en masse for this encounter with an experimental Connacht line-up.
Rolling out his first team again this weekend is not ideal for Van Graan, but Munster need to get the job done today to ensure that they make the semi-finals. Should everything go to plan, it sounds like they will have to rock up against Leinster at the Aviva next Friday night. Not ideal, especially when you consider that all of Leo Cullen’s big guns are resting up this weekend.
Munster, meanwhile, are facing a five-day turnaround before round two with their arch rivals. It doesn’t seem fair but, then again, lady luck hasn’t exactly shone on Van Graan recently.
On paper, they should encounter little resistance from Connacht this afternoon, but beware a side with nothing to lose and packed with fringe players – including three Munster castaways – looking to dent some big reputations and make their mark.
Abraham Papali’i is one such threat. He arrived in the summer to little fanfare but Andy Friend is expecting big things from the giant Kiwi No8. He will add some much-needed bulk to a Connacht pack that looks quite lightweight but full of pace. If they can get some decent front-foot ball for their backs, this could be an interesting game. From Caolin Blade at scrum-half to Tiernan O’Halloran at full-back, the Westerners look born to run.
They were mightily impressive against Ulster last weekend with their fast-paced, offloading game. Connacht are simply a joy to watch when they get into their stride. They will be keen to build on that momentum before the squad goes back into cold storage until the new Pro14 campaign kicks off in October.
So, this is a free hit for Connacht essentially. That makes them extra dangerous.
Munster’s biggest danger today will be complacency. If Van
Graan gets to Sunday evening with a win and no fresh injury concerns, he will be counting his blessings.
You get the feeling it will be a lot trickier than that, but Munster are used to it at this stage.
‘ESSENTIALLY, THIS ONE IS A FREE HIT FOR ANDY FRIEND’S CONNACHT’