Munster’s defence of the Heineken Cup was almost derailed in the opening pool match last season when unheralded Montauban threatened to pull off a shock of gigantic proportions in Limerick.
While Munster supporters will be hoping their charges can pick up a maximum haul of five points from Saturday’s tie at Thomond Park, with the side playing catch up in Pool 1, manager Payne stressed that the only thing they would be concentrating on was winning the game - kick-off on Saturday is at 1.35pm.
“I can absolutely guarantee you that the only thing we’re focusing on this weekend is winning the game especially after what’s happened with Treviso against Perpignan,” Shaun Payne insisted.
“There will be no talk about bonus points. We will go out there, play our normal game, look to put them under pressure and hope to take our opportunities when they come.
“There was no magic wand with Treviso’s victory over Perpignan.
“They had excellent first phase. The weather played a part in it.
“Perpignan went in maybe expecting a victory and in the first 45 seconds they got mauled half the length of the pitch, collapsed the maul and a penalty was awarded against them. And that set the tone.”
Shaun Payne was still playing the last time Munster faced Benetton Treviso in the Heineken Cup in 2004.
And he retains vivid memories of an uncomfortable afternoon at the Stadio Comunale Di Monigo in the away fixture.
“It took us a while to put them down. They’re a side you can’t be throwing the ball around against,” Shaun Payne said.
“They are a side you need to respect and get through your phases and approach it like we would any other team. Definitely after last weekend there will be a lot of respect shown to them.
“I know their coach very well, Franco Smith, from our time at the Sharks. I can guarantee you he’s not the sort of guy who’ll come over here just expecting to make up the numbers.
“The troops will be revved up and expecting to be able to do a job over here.”
Meanwhile Munster and Ireland prop John Hayes has had his six-week suspension for stamping reduced by a week following an appeal to the IRFU Appeals Committee last night.
However, the reduction does not clear Hayes to play in any further Munster or Irish fixtures.
Ireland’s most-capped international will miss this weekend’s clash with Treviso at Thomond Park as well as the away Magners League tie with Edinburgh on Friday week and the home fixture against Ulster on October 31.
Hayes received a red card during the Leinster v Munster Magners League game at the RDS at the start of the month for a stamp on Leinster player Cian Healy. Following a disciplinary hearing, Hayes was originally suspended for a period of six weeks from the date of the offence up to and including Saturday, November 14. The IRFU appeals panel considered the grounds for appeal by Munster Rugby last night and allowed one further weeks mitigation ‘based upon the record of the player’.
The reduction on the initial period of suspension means that Hayes is now suspended up to and including Saturday, November 7. The appeal panel was chaired by Billy Glynn, Chairman of the IRFU Appeals Committee, and he was assisted by Leo Galvin and George Spotswood.
Munster squad v Treviso: Marcus Horan, Tony Buckley, Julien Brugnaut, Darragh Hurley, Denis Fogarty, Jerry Flannery, Mick O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Donnacha Ryan, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Nick Williams, Denis Leamy, Niall Ronan, Tomas O’Leary, Peter Stringer, Toby Morland, Ronan O’Gara, Paul Warwick, Lifeimi Mafi, Jean De Villiers, Doug Howlett, Denis Hurley, Ian Dowling, Keith Earls.
COLM KINSELLA
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