MUNSTER AND miracles have been comfortable partners in the Heineken Cup down the years and while coach Tony McGahan knows they are always capable of producing something astonishing, he also appreciates there are some things which will just not ever be repeated.
The remarkable 41-phase move in the final play of the game against Northampton which saw 13 different players handle the ball — replacement Denis Leamy an incredible 10 times — was just the latest chapter in a familiar Munster storybook.
McGahan was asked at the weekly press conference in Limerick yesterday how confident he would be of them being able to go out on the training pitch, go through the move again and deliver the same outcome.
“100 per cent,” he responded immediately, before adding the rider: “no chance”.
He knows the likelihood of going through such a passage of play again without a knock-on, a stray hand or fumbled catch or pass is nil, and while acknowledging the sheer drama of it all, they need to move on.
The Munster coach said they needed to park the dramatic end which saw Ronan O’Gara snatch victory with his dramatic drop goal to defeat the Saints.
Munster now head to Toulouse to play Castres in buoyant mood and McGahan paid tribute to the way the result was carved.
“The players stuck to it right to the end and we knew we would have to make sure we were right in it at the end to get that result. So it was terrific for the squad, but also for the supporters that were there as well, it was a terrific atmosphere.
“The entertainment that was put on by both sides, the intensity and the pace of the game was terrific, it was a high-quality game. Regardless of the result, as a spectacle it was a true indicator of where this competition is and how difficult it is to get a result at any point in time, round one let alone getting through to a final, it is tough at any point in the competition,” said McGahan.
He expects another searching test against Castres and they know they will have a big battle on their hands.
“They are a very good and very consistent side. I have been watching the Top 14 in the last two and a bit years and their progress to turn into a side that is up in the top four, they have certainly done that, they have built a strong forward pack.
“They have a big forward pack, very strong, very physical, set-piece dominated, very traditional French side. They have got a very strong nine and 10 who kick the ball very well and two big centres who are able to play through that channel one position and play off the back of that.
“They have a strong start to this season in particular, they have come up short in the last couple of games, but before that they had beaten some big sides, they ground sides down through the intensity of their play, especially at home the way they play there.
“They’re are going to be a typical trench-warfare side, it is going to be a real battle and we need our forwards to come to the fore again like they did last week,” he added.
McGahan made some big selection calls last week with the likes of Donncha O’Callaghan and Denis Leamy having to settle for places on the bench and he has not ruled out something similar this week.
The Munster coach said he was impressed by the players when they were introduced and stressed the need for a strong squad to carry them through.
“Everyone in the squad wants to be playing but we can only put 23 on the pitch. We have such an enlarged squad these days, with regard to the BI Cup, the number of A games and the national management programme, which takes our top players away for over 60 per cent of the RaboDirect competition.
“We have been using a pool of 52 players over the last two years so when you have that you have more players not selected than selected. And that was not the case five or six years ago.
“How people and how the squad present themselves and help the 23 each week whether it is a RaboDirect game or an ERC game is important, but the response from the bench last week was terrific.”
McGahan has named an unchanged squad for the trip to France. John Ryan, who was called into the starting day squad when Marcus Horan was forced to withdraw, is retained but Horan came through training on Monday and if he does likewise today will travel to France.
MUNSTER(squad v Castres): M Horan, J Ryan, W du Preez, BJ Botha, J Hayes, S Archer, D Varley, D Fogarty, D Ryan, P O'Connell, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, B Holland, P O'Mahony, N Ronan, J Coughlan, D Leamy, C Murray, T O'Leary, P Stringer, D Williams, R O'Gara, I Keatley, S Deasy, J Murphy, D Howlett, D Barnes, W Chambers, L Mafi, D Hurley.
