COMPARING MUNSTER TO a famous horror movie character is the biggest compliment former Leinster player Paul Wallace can pay to this year’s Heineken Cup semi-finalists.
Wallace, in Dublin during the week to promote Sky Sports’ coverage of the cup final between Clermont and Toulon, believes coach Rob Penney has learned to adhere to Munster’s never-say-die forward play while looking to add pace and flair to the backline. Wallace told TheScore.ie:
With French sides, and Clermont in particular, they do struggle against Irish sides. With Munster, they’re like Freddie Krueger, Nightmare on Elm Street. They keep coming. You think they’re killed off and they keep coming back and coming back.
“In the French Top 14 and local matches, sides often know they are beaten and say ‘Let’s hold in here for a bonus point’ but the fight goes out of them… the other side often lets their guard down. That said, the way they came back, it was very refreshing for me, a Munster man.”
The former Ireland prop added, “There has been a lot of calls for Munster to play this wide-open, passing game like Toulouse, Clermont or Leinster but they have a certain type of game, a pressure, old-school game, and it works so well.”
Scott Quinnell credited Clermont for starving Munster of ball during their semi-final win and believes they are the favourites to capture the Heineken Cup next weekend. He added, “They’ve got two wingers [Napolioni Nalaga and Sitiveni Sivivatu] that could grace any second row in the world.”
Quinnell’s fellow rugby pundit Stuart Barnes added, “If you’re not put under pressure, mentally you won’t choke because you’re not worried about playing. Munster kept coming and coming and coming.”
With Andrew Conway arriving in the summer, Felix Jones a full season back from his leg break and Simon Zebo eager to prove his Lions omission was an error, Munster should be coming and coming with a lot more attacking bite next season.
'Munster are like Freddie Krueger -- they keep coming back at you'
COMPARING MUNSTER TO a famous horror movie character is the biggest compliment former Leinster player Paul Wallace can pay to this year’s Heineken Cup semi-finalists.
Wallace, in Dublin during the week to promote Sky Sports’ coverage of the cup final between Clermont and Toulon, believes coach Rob Penney has learned to adhere to Munster’s never-say-die forward play while looking to add pace and flair to the backline. Wallace told TheScore.ie:
“In the French Top 14 and local matches, sides often know they are beaten and say ‘Let’s hold in here for a bonus point’ but the fight goes out of them… the other side often lets their guard down. That said, the way they came back, it was very refreshing for me, a Munster man.”
Paul O’Connell appeared four times in Europe for Munster this season. (Credit: ©INPHO/James Crombie)
The former Ireland prop added, “There has been a lot of calls for Munster to play this wide-open, passing game like Toulouse, Clermont or Leinster but they have a certain type of game, a pressure, old-school game, and it works so well.”
Scott Quinnell credited Clermont for starving Munster of ball during their semi-final win and believes they are the favourites to capture the Heineken Cup next weekend. He added, “They’ve got two wingers [Napolioni Nalaga and Sitiveni Sivivatu] that could grace any second row in the world.”
Quinnell’s fellow rugby pundit Stuart Barnes added, “If you’re not put under pressure, mentally you won’t choke because you’re not worried about playing. Munster kept coming and coming and coming.”
With Andrew Conway arriving in the summer, Felix Jones a full season back from his leg break and Simon Zebo eager to prove his Lions omission was an error, Munster should be coming and coming with a lot more attacking bite next season.
Zebo, meanwhile won Munster’s Young Player of the Year at the club’s end-of-season ceremony on Friday. Flanker Tommy O’Donnell, who Penney believes should have been included in the Lions squad, won overall Player of the Year.
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European Rugby Champions Cup freddie krueger Munster nightmare opponents Paul Wallace Rob Penney Ronan O'Gara Rugby Sky sports Clermont Tommy O'Donnell