Paul predicts unique occasion

“WHEN I was growing up, the guy I hated to lose to was my brother. That is the way it is now. These guys, (Leinster players), after what we achieved together with Ireland, will be friends for life. But those are the guys you hate to lose to most and I am sure Leinster will be saying the same thing. It’s because we know each other so well and are friends that this is such a big rivalry.”


Munster captain Paul O’Connell is explaining the uniqueness of squaring up to his Irish international colleagues when Munster lock horns with Leinster in Saturday’s mammoth Heineken Cup semi-final clash at Croke Park. The Lions captain is also predicting a unique, GAA-style, atmosphere at Saturday’s big clash.
“The atmosphere at Lansdowne Road for the 2006 semi-final meeting of Munster and Leinster was phenomenal. This weekend will be no different,” O’Connell predicted.
“There might be a bit of a GAA element to the atmosphere as well.
“That will add to it.
“It will be fabulous to play a provincial game in Croke Park.
“It is something neither team has done before. Definitely the atmosphere will be a little bit different to an international.”
O’Connell said it was important in a pressure cooker setting like this weekend’s clash that players have confidence in their own ability.
“You have to be confident in your ability to play. Padraig Harrington said pressure makes you perform better, makes you focus, makes you concentrate. Hopefully, that is what it will do for us,” O’Connell stressed.
“There is a different hype to this game. There is a more intense rivalry. But for the players on the pitch, a big game is a big game. Both sets of players are used to handling the hype.”
Munster skipper O’Connell said he had been hugely impressed with Leinster’s quarter-final win at The Stoop against NEC Harlequins.
“I think Leinster are mentally very strong,” O’Connell stressed.
“They had a fabulous performance against Harlequins in the quarter-finals. I have a lot of respect for the win away from home against a very competent side.
“Their stuff around their breakdown is top class.
“They have five or six guys who are very strong in that area, brilliant at slowing ball, poaching ball and getting penalties. It is something we have to be very aware of.”
Munster have been installed as odds-on favourites to win through to a fifth final this weekend.
Lock O’Connell dismissed the notion that Munster might suffer from any over-confidence.
“We keep a cap on over-confidence because we know we can be as bad as any side in the Magners League or Heineken Cup on any given day if our heads are not right,” he stressed.
“We saw it happen this year against Ulster also against Connacht and Montauban at home.
“We know how bad we can be if the head is not on. We keep reminding ourselves. The papers and media have to tag someone as the favourites and someone as the underdogs. One thing we have been good at is realising that it is about what happens on the day. It is a cup match, knock-out rugby, something we have been raised on.
“We know no matter how much a team is an underdog, how big a team are favourites, how level teams are, it is down to the performance on the day. That is what we have been reminding ourselves.”

Colm Kinsella