Remember the transformation in the side’s display when beating Gloucester 33-6 at home in 2003, a week after suffering a 15-point away defeat to Perpignan, when routing Gloucester 35-14 the following season, seven days after shipping an 11-point away defeat to the ‘Cherry and Whites’ in Kingsholm and finally when overcoming the London Wasps by 16-points, six days after losing to Clermont Auvergne in France in January 2008.
Munster’s ability to bounce back in the face of adversity has set them apart for much of the previous 14 seasons of the Heineken Cup.
In the wake of last weekend’s 30-point drubbing at the hands of Leinster, Munster need to produce a vastly improved performance this Saturday against the Northampton Saints in their opening Heineken Cup Pool 1 fixture at Franklin’s Gardens (6pm).
Munster’s training sessions will be no place for the faint-hearted this week.
Among the key areas the twice Heineken Cup champions are sure to work on is the breakdown, where they were ineffective against Leinster at the RDS. The Magners League champions were physically unable to match Leinster’s excellent work in this area. Munster’s line-out was hugely disappointing as they continuously coughed up possession, even on their own throw.
Munster’s traditional teak tough disposition will be severely tested this weekend by a Northampton side which can lift themselves with memories of their 2000 Heineken Cup final win over the Irish province at Twickenham.
Despite last weekend’s narrow defeat to Wasps at Adams Park, the Saints have begun the Guinness Premiership season is impressive fashion.
A defeat this weekend will leave Munster facing an uphill battle to make the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup for a 12th straight season. While Tony McGahan’s can reasonably expect to claim 10 points against Italian side Benetton Treviso, a defeat this weekend ahead of a daunting trip to the Stade Aime Giral to face Perpignan in December would be a blow to Munster’s hopes of making the last eight.
Coach Tony McGahan remains confident the province’s ‘quality senior players’ will help the side bounce back in style from their embarrassing defeat to Leinster.
McGahan revealed that some frank talking had been done in the Munster dressing room following Saturday’s 30-point drubbing at the hands of old rivals Leinster.
The Munster coach expects a positive response from his charges this weekend.
Skipper Paul O’Connell said the poor display against Leinster would act as a major motivating factor in Saturday’s clash with the Saints.
Everything needs to improve from last weekend. I think if it does, we have a good chance at the weekend,” O’Connell told this week’s launch of the 15th Heineken Cup.
“I think it will be a big motivation for us having had such a disappointing performance last Saturday. We did none of our basics well and that’s the most important thing you do.
“Going away to Northampton and going away to Perpignan are going to be incredibly tough games, so we’re going to be concentrating on getting out of our group first and foremost.”
With captain O’Connell, Jerry Flannery and David Wallace successfully coming through their first appearances of the season on Saturday, it seems certain that coach McGahan will make several changes to his starting line-up for the tie with Northampton. Back-row forwards Denis Leamy and Alan Quinlan are also available to play having recovered from minor injuries.
Tony Buckley is likely to come into the front-row in the absence of the suspended John Hayes.
Paul Warwick, despite throwing the intercept pass for Shane Horgan’s third Leinster try, looked lively when introduced at the RDS and the Aussie, who has just returned from a foot injury, could well force his way into the starting line-up for Saturday.
Warwick was outstanding for Munster last season.
Ian McGeechan, who faced Munster in the Heineken Cup in 2007-‘08 while head coach at London Wasps, said he expects the Magners League holders to produce a vastly improved performance this weekend.
But former Lions head coach McGeechan says the Saints will provide stubborn resistance.
“You look at the characters involved and I have no doubt it will be a very different Munster side next Saturday at Franklin’s Gardens,” Ian McGeechan, who visits Limerick next week to promote his new autobiography Lion Man, told Leader Sport.
“Munster have experience and strength of character when they pulled on a jersey.
“Early on a lot of teams can have a slow start in the Heineken Cup. The most important thing is winning because you pick the form up and the intensity as the season goes on.
“Northampton have started quite strongly. I know they lost to Wasps at the weekend. But they are a physical side. It will be a tough game at Northampton.
“They rarely lose there. They will certainly be looking forward to it.”
Heineken Cup 2009-10
Pool 1 - Round 1
Northampton Saints v Munster
Saturday, October 10 @ 6pm
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
TV: Live Sky Sports Xtra, 5.45pm
Highlights: RTE 2, 10.35pm
Match betting: Northampton 10/11,
Munster 10/11 & Draw 18/1.
(Odds courtesy of PaddyPower.com)
Colm Kinsella
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