MAGNERS LEAGUE:MUNSTER WERE described as "ailing and ageing" in one headline this past weekend after defeat to Edinburgh. They have already lost in Europe to Northampton and were gutted by Leinster. They have been supposedly finished before but failure to do a job on Ulster this Saturday at Thomond Park and that Mick Galway catch-phrase about Munster always exacting revenge when wronged will need a rewrite.
Last season Ulster did Munster a favour. It was January 3rd when they came down to Limerick and stuffed them 37-11. Munster never looked back, angrily winning the Magners League and looking every inch a safe bet to retain their European crown until that defeat to Leinster saw it all unravel again.
That Ulster could do this to them was embarrassing and that seemed a key motivation.
But a different Ulster come back for seconds. No longer outsourcing their coaching ticket, Brian McLaughlin (a former Eddie O’Sullivan lieutenant, nicknamed “brigadier of the breakdown” during his Irish backroom days, he boasts a fine pedigree at schools and club level) is joined by Jeremy Davidson and Neil Doak in a home grown set-up.
There was some initial confusion about David Humphreys’ role as operations director but Davidson, back home after a coaching stint with Castres to run the Ulster pack, clarifies the new Ulster way.
“Brian has brought in a refreshing approach where everyone is playing for their place. He has brought a great amount of passion and belief into Ulster rugby.
“David’s title is operations director. He keeps his finger firmly on the pulse of what is happening in the rugby element but Brian is completely in charge of what is happening on the field and, while it is a help to have someone of David’s experience there, Brian is in charge of what happens on the training park.”
It also helps that Humphreys’ brother Ian is playing in so similar a fashion to his elder sibling. Somethign else has clicked with so many home-grown players clearly buying into the new regime.
Stephen Ferris is their superstar in waiting on the blindside flank and the path of openside David Pollack to the top tier has long been predicted but both men were injured when a backrow containing 23-year-old Willie Faloon and Chris Henry edged the collision zone last Saturday.
Ferris is expected to return for Munster with the welcoming bear mitts of Denis Leamy expected to be at their sharpest and most unforgiving.
Munster will come at them directly. It was the type of challenge Davidson always relished as a player.
“We’ll wait and see. Everyone is waiting for them to click. We’ve seen it in the past and, really, when they are strong on their day they can beat any team. We realise that. Performance remains the key.
“We know, especially after last year when everything went right for Ulster down there, that we are going to have a really tight game.
“ Rome wasn’t built in a day. We are only a third of the way through the season but we still have a number of tricky games to play.”
Munster are on the horizon but beyond that, Davidson is right, the season could so easily unravel.
More players than usual will be drafted in to the Ireland camp today. Leinster struggled with this in the early Michael Cheika days.
Immediately after the November internationals come back-to-back matches with Stade Francais when Davidson’s knowledge of the Top 14 will become crucial.
Dress it up any way you like but these two results will define their season.
“It was very important to get a good start in the league and hopefully maintain that confidence and maintain the way we are playing as well.”
Determination can be heard in his voice, an essential way to sound when returning to an angry Thomond Park.
Should be fun.
