JACO TAUTE HAS been outstanding for Munster since arriving in September, and has won over the province’s supporters, but he now has real competition for his place in the starting XV.
It’s exciting for Munster to have Francis Saili back in the mix, the return of a twice-capped All Black adding another dangerous element to their attack.
Saili’s excellent finish against Glasgow last weekend, after he had worked hard to get outside Keith Earls, was an illustration that the 25-year-old is hungry to prove himself after his first season had left some of Munster’s fans unconvinced.
Coming back into a set-up that is brimming with confidence, Saili will feel that he can now prosper. He looks to be in prime physical condition – lean and explosive – and his team-mates are glad to see him back from his shoulder trouble.
“He’s a massive player in this team and he brings a lot of energy when he gets on or when he starts,” says CJ Stander. “He’s a guy that’s always positive, always works hard for the team, always comes up with a new play.
“When you’ve got someone on your team like that, just to see something different that you didn’t see maybe, it’s massive. He works hard, he’s an unbelievable player, works hard in defence and attack.
“It’s good to have the competition because everyone wants that jersey and if you drop one week then you’re probably going to have watch the next week from the side.”
Saili has made three replacement appearances and one start since returning from injury on St. Stephen’s Day, with this weekend’s clash with Racing 92 at Thomond Park perhaps providing an opportunity to start again.
As Rassie Erasmus’ men attempt to continue their impressive momentum, the return of Saili has been timely and he will expect to play a major role moving forward.
A win in Limerick on Saturday would secure Munster a home quarter-final, of course, with their progress into the knockout stages having already been confirmed last weekend in Scotstoun.
The memory of the 2014 Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Toulouse at Thomond Park remains strong and earning another occasion like that is a major motivation for Munster.
They will have a sold-out crowd of 26,200 people watching their efforts this weekend, and Stander says Munster want to repay the support.
“It’s a special place. The experience there, you get out and it’s a sea of red and I’m massively proud to be in a set-up like this, where you see supporters that keep giving everything.
“That brings you back and makes you think about your game and the need to keep giving everything for them because they travel over [to Glasgow] and they’ll be in Thomond Park in full flight.
“You don’t want to disappoint them, it’s a special place and I think everyone’s going to want to work hard to get back there [for a quarter-final]. But on the flip side, if we don’t get there, we’ll just keep on doing what we’re doing and keep up the hard work.”
A home quarter-final would be a superb achievement for director of rugby Erasmus in his first season in charge of Munster.
He has insisted since first arriving to start his three-year contract that Munster will take time to fully realise their potential, but this first campaign has been highly encouraging so far.
“He just wants us to go out there and play your game and enjoy it in the first place,” says Stander of the Munster boss.
“He wants you to try your best and try something and make it work and if we fail, well, if we’ve worked hard at it he’s happy with it and if we go at it half-arsed he’s not happy.
“He’s a direct man, he wants the best for the team and he’ll always pick the best player to do that at that stage.
“He’s a guy that brings excitement but also he brings planning, so we come in on a Monday to work hard for the week and come Saturday you just want to be physical and perform for him, Jacques, Felix and Fla because they work so hard.”
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Good luck Leinster Keep the momentum going
Fair play to Lyon though, you have to give it to em.
Bonus point as requested and delivered. Build on the lead now.
Don’t take the foot off the pedal. Let’s hope for a thumping performance and that Lyon are competitive.
What an absolute joke of a video ref disallowing Fardy’s try. If you get that pernickety about it then no try would ever be given. Pathetic.
@Vincent O’Keeffe: and after all the microscopic bullshit they missed a clear neck roll on Treacy.
Free stream?
@Ao: MOBDRO, LiveNetTV TV. VIP, first row,
Whitehouse is screwing Lyon
Examples allowing Leinster to have men diving in beyond the ruck creating space clever but illegal. Offside in defence at every breakdown. Lowe trying to use the boot in the ruck that is illegal with years. Toners contact to the face accidental yes but under the rules a yellow card. Whitehouse try’s to give Leinster the disallowed try in spite of being told by the TMO there was a clear knock on.
@Brian Gallivan: you can use your boot in a ruck, you just can’t kick it out, nothing illegal there at all, massive chip on yo shoulder there though!
@Brian Gallivan: anything else??
@Umpaloompa:
No chip whatsoever all you can ask for is consistency. He has just called the exact same offences against Lyon when Leinster are attacking and gives them a warning. I hope Leinster win but hate to see Whitehouses incompetence having a bearing on the game. Any difficulty with my other comments
@David: Did you just see what Fardy did in the build up to Deegans try Whitehouse misses I again
@Brian Gallivan: with relation to going past the ruck and the offside, I’m pretty sure the Leinster coaching staff have seem Munster get away with it all the time (e.g. vs Connacht in the interpros), and decided to give it a go.
@Brian Gallivan: your complaining about what every team does, as for Whitehouse trying to give the try, he clearly couldn’t hear the tmo and couldn’t see a problem himself, no ref or tmo ever calls that, good spot all the same.
Leo looks pissed off.
Little ‘Nigel’ should shut up pontificating and let teams play.
That try from Conway! Mon dieu!