Ryan Bailey reports from Welford Road
A GOOD FORTY-FIVE minutes after the final whistle, and when the majority inside Welford Road had filtered out into the bitterly cold December evening, a small band of Munster fans waited patiently under the south stand.
The Sunday evening kick-off meant most of the red army were forced to make this an overnight trip to the Midlands, but even still they were keen to stay behind to revel in one of the province’s great European wins.
The Fields of Athenry had already reverberated around this old ground at various stages during the second half, the decibel levels growing louder as Munster inched towards the line, but Stand Up and Fight was soon to be heard around Leicester.
Vastly contrasting fortunes from 12 months ago.
Johann van Graan said the squad studied the tape of that defeat closely this week and certainly they learned their lessons as they went about formulating a game plan to bring Leicester to their knees for the second time in a week.
Disciplined, clinical, accurate, composed and thoroughly professional, Munster produced their best to grind out the most impressive and significant of Pool 4 wins — and now they head into the New Year with one foot in the quarter-finals.
It has been quite the start for van Graan, who appeared to be emotional in the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s win, as he reflected on four victories since he assumed the role.
“Look, it’s been an incredible four weeks for me, finishing off with the Springboks and coming in here,” he said.
“I always want it to be about the team, not about me. I’m a guy that’s not ego-driven. It’s all about the guys that are here. I really want to make sure that guys are happy that guys improve and be part of a winning team.”
Shortly after he completed his post-match media obligations, van Graan made his way out of the away dressing room to where the Munster supporters had gathered. There, he posed for photos and generally chatted to those who made the effort on the weekend before Christmas to come and support his team.
He then made his way down the Welford Road tunnel where upon getting to the edge of the pitch stopped and had one final look around the empty ground, taking it all in before taking a photo on his phone.
“It’s been quite a four weeks for me personally, but all credit to the team,” he continues.
“Thomond Park was absolutely fantastic last week and to come here and win away, the Munster people who came out tonight, the singing, and all credit to the Tigers’ supporters that stayed until the end and it was a massive battle.”
“So, I’m really grateful for that, and we’ll enjoy tonight, and I’ll enjoy tonight, and start again on zero.”
Before then, van Graan is sure to examine aspects of this game a little closer and while admitting it wasn’t a perfect performance, there were significant areas of improvement, most notably Munster’s discipline. This performance at Welford Road now sets the benchmark.
“I said last week, we weren’t happy with our discipline,” the South African said. “I thought we adapted quite well to the referee last week and even better this week. We know this was going to be a totally different battle, there weren’t going to be a lot of steals, which I don’t think there were any in the game, possibly bar the last one.”
Peter O’Mahony played a large part in that. The captain, and man of the match, was immense on Sunday.
“I thought it was a world-class performance by a world-class player,” van Graan says of O’Mahony. “The announcement of him staying, it’s massive for Munster but he never made it about himself. It was all about the team and about the performance. So well done to Pete for a magnificent performance.
“All credit to the pack. All credit to Jerry, who came up with the plan; Billy Holland, who spends hours dissecting lineouts and, you know, we came up with something this week in the lineouts and put them under quite a bit of pressure.
“So very happy with the composure and maturity shown by the team. We want to go to the next level. This team is hungry to grow and very happy with the away result.”
Away wins in Europe are a priceless commodity, particularly when you consider how tight and competitive Munster’s pool is. It moves the province four points clear of Racing 92 and puts them in a very strong position ahead of the round five trip to France.
“It’s massive to win away at Welford Road, this will be a reference point for us but this is a long season, there’s a long way to go. This competition takes a break now, we go back to play Racing 92 away again in a few weeks time but all attention will go to the Pro14 –three interprovincial derbies will be really tough on everybody involved in Ireland but you’ve got to enjoy wins, we’ll enjoy tonight, enjoy the next few days then go right back to zero and start again.”
That’s van Graan’s ethos; regardless of the result, hit the reset button again. He says it over and over again. And it’ll be the same message this week ahead of the St Stephen’s Day inter-pro against Leinster.
With O’Mahony signed up, attention now turns to CJ Stander and the renewal of his contract.
“I think we’ll just take it day by day,” van Graan added. “There’s a lot of negotiations going on behind the scenes, but now we’d like to create a very happy environment for our players, a place where people can grow, be themselves and play for Munster.
“We want to make a club rich in tradition and also moving forward, so keeping world-class players and attracting more world-class players would be one of the big things that we look to do, so hopefully he stays.”
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In fairness Semple Stadium IS the greatest sports arena in the world.
Two big cow sheds and two lumps of terracing
Only IF every other arena was destroyed!!
As a Waterford man I’d agree that Semple stadium IS the greatest sports arena in the world & Declan Browne was definitely a class act.
Tipp people, can you tell me who Skippy, Festy & Bubbles are?
Skippy is the Rabbits hero Michael Cleary.
Clare for the Jigs and Reels Tipp for the Hurlin
That’s because you are from Waterford , Fraher Field ? Oh dear God
As a corkman, you can’t bare Thurles on a sunny day in July…
*bate
Nothing wrong with Fraher Field, lovely ground & Dungarvan is a beautiful town. Bigger doesn’t always mean better, PUC is a perfect example of that. There is no place like Semple Stadium on Munster final day.
I was behind the goal that Fitzgerald scored that sideline into.. breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal measure. Great stadium and a real GAA town.
Another holiday in tramore this year then?
Skippy is Michael Cleary, Festy is Pat Kerwick And Bubbles is John O’ Dwyer who’s on the panel this year
Sound!
Tramore is lovely, but Woodstown, Clonea or Ardmore are nicer.
Definitely.
In fairness they did produce one of the all-time great songwriters in Shane MacGowan.
And we have a mountain that looks like a boobie. hon the premier
Premier Porn
Is Slievenamon spelt wrong on the big flag?
Tipperary is the Premier County:
Thomas Davis, Editor of The Nation newspaper in the 1840s gave the name as a tribute to the nationalistic feeling in Tipperary and said that “where Tipperary leads, Ireland follows”.
Enough said!
I wondered why Tipp was called the Premier county.. also the first shots of the Tan war were fired in Tipperary, at Soloheadbeg, and the Fenian Rising of 1867 was centred around Tipp aswell, for what it’s worth
You know your from tipperary when you have a lifetime supply of tinfoil in the boot of the car!!!!
funny f…ker that’s going up on face book
You’d shout for the devil before you’d shout for Kilkenny ,Tiobraid Arann Abu
As a Dub myself I can say I never seen such devoted fans as I did at Croke park last summer for the Tipp match.. Despite losing the atmosphere was amazing!
I’m heading to the town of Cahir on sunday and can’t wait to explore the beautiful sights :)
ur off ur head , the abuse tipp fans give their own on bad days is ridiculous
Everytime I’m at a concert or a festival the tipp jersey is always the first I see, even at biffy clyro last night some fella had a tipp flag, why for the love of god are they so proud of their hole, (he says while typing this in Tipperary)
Plenty of lovely spots in County Tipperary. Cashel, Cahir, Clogheen, Emly, Aherlow.
Jaysus – nothing there only fields !
Life would be perfect if we could win more All Ireland’s instead of one every ten years or so. It’s always a fantastic sporting occasion. ;0)
Well it won’t be another 13 years LOL!!
Paul its been 40 years since we won an all-ireland, a couple of years aint all that bad!!!
And a little lego man avatar for 22 out of 22!! Ok i’m lying, enjoyed the article though.
No mention of the tinfoil?
No hang sanwiches or flasks of tea either.
I feel let down.
Or being attracted to members of your own family, left some big ones out of that list lads!!!!
is Effin Eddie a tipp man? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOS-XQ0oZYM
Aherlow born and bred
A firing squad wouldn’t take Aherlow out of that man!
No mention of John Leahy no??
Except for Simply Red that may have been the best of all the Feile Line Ups.
Simply red??? ah alan
Left after The Saw Doctors and David Byrne, who was brilliant. Didn’t bother with Brian Adams either but saw nearly everyone else that year. Was at all Feiles in Semple and one of the reasons, along with being a GAA devotee, I love Thurles and Semple Stadium!
Christy Moore asking people to stop messing in the rain and give him a listen.
Has to be the flask & hang sandwiches in tin foil. Too mean to spend it outside Tipp.
Know if a lad who organised an under 14 match night of Ireland’s soccer match in case the young fellows would watch!
Ya that happens where I live on all the time, and even with the senior teams they play there games on Saturdays and Sunday’s when the football is on tv and training sessions on during champions league games, they even moved a session last year from a Wednesday night to a Monday so the lads could not see united v city, gaa really are muppets and Tipperary is the breeding ground for there incompetence
The trip to tipp with the prodigy and manic street preachers, my first concert and on of the best!!!
What do you call a tipp supporter in croke park …….. Lost
What do you call a tipp supporter at croke park?………tourist.
Tipp the most overrated team ever, and then there is Cork, my god what a team…….
As a Corkman I don’t know if they ever lined out for the hurlers, but any county that could produce the ‘The Big Four’ i.e. Dan Breen, Sean Treacy, Sean Hogan and Seamus Robinson can’t be bad.
Tipp as a team are not committed , the attitude, mentality of we won or are winners is catching up, time for them to work as a team and fight for each.
Wasn’t Robinson from the North? Antrim or Down? I’m not questioning the major role he played in the fight for freedom around Tipp and the Munster area, but I seem to remember my NT, a Tipp man, once telling the class years ago that Robinson was a northerner!
I think your’e right on that one
What do you call a coach load of tipp supporters at croke park?……the gathering…….
#12 , yep, when it suits him
no mention of lovely cappawhite county minor champs 1965
Early shower for tipp this year next year , feck it call a spade a spade next decade or so……..
Some line-up at Feile 92!
no mention of cappawhite county minor champs 1965
At 12oclock on the 4th last day in September you assemble on Talbot street to give homage to one of our greatest county men before heading off to Jones Road