AFTER LOSING IN the manner they did to Cardiff Blues, Munster would be forgiven for trying to move swiftly on.
But they operate differently in the southern province.
Rather than brush their ill-timed worst performance of the season under the carpet, senior Reds seem keen to keep the issue live.
A rod for their own backs.
“It was more across the pitch than north-south.” Donncha O’Callaghan said yesterday of the frustratingly lateral lines trod into Musgrave Park during the 17-6 defeat.
“Then you put in close to 30 individual errors which, to be fair, no game-plan allows for. To be honest, that’s the most frustrating thing from a players’ point of view. People go on about the type of game we’re trying to play, but you can’t play any game if you make silly mistakes.
“Getting bundled into touch, dropping the ball, things like that, no matter what way you try to play won’t lead to good outcomes. That’s the disappointing thing, when individual errors are high you’re in trouble because it suggests it’s a personal thing on how guys prepared.”
And, lest anyone think this was an exercise in finger-pointing from a man who was able to watch the game from the relative comfort of the stands, O’Callaghan was quick to add that every man has a part to play:
“It’s grand to be a hurler on the ditch, but I trained all last week and [you're left thinking] what can you do better. Hopefully it focuses the mind for this week.”
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This week, brings Munster to Edinburgh, and the great big echo chamber that Murrayfield becomes in 10 months of the year when the national team are not around to draw the crowd in.
‘We need a result or it’s all over.’
Rob Penney’s side occupy third place in Pool 1 and need at least nine points to secure a potential best runners-up spot. A bonus point against the out-of-form Scots would set Thomond Park up nicely for a gripping finale on matchday six.
However, O’Callaghan shines a harsher light than that on Munster’s recent form.
“I’ll be honest, we’re not even thinking about [bonus points] it’s all result. We need a result or it’s all over.
And it’s not even that far; we’re thinking of a performance. We need to play well, like. We haven’t played well…” the lock stops himself before he has to stretch too far back through the fixture list.
“… in patches maybe against Ulster. Against Cardiff we were hugely disappointing. So as players we’re on each others backs for the detail and knowing our role so that the preference is right and hopefully a result will follow.”
Many will point to the dearth in atmosphere in Murrayfield as being a possible influence on the game. Both negative and positive arguments can be made for the early Sunday kick-off. But this game is too important for O’Callaghan to see it as anything other than a bear-pit.
“If it was four in the morning we’d be up for it.” He says forthrightly, before issuing a call to arms that has long proved essential for Munster – the rapport with their support.
‘It’s everything’
“It’s our season. It’s everything, 80 minutes of rugby to have the chance to have 80 minutes more. Otherwise it’s over.
“It doesn’t matter if there’s four people at it down in Cois Laoi in Cork or wherever. We have to get a result and we have to find a way.
The most disappointing thing about last Saturday was that we felt we left the supporters down, we let the squad down, we let coaches down. From a players point of view that’s hugely disappointing.
“There’s certain things people expect from a Munster team: Values like to go out and keep going and fight for every point. And I think we died over it which is something we’ve to have a hard look at ourselves about.”
Every team gushes about its fans, and how great the support is. But in Munster, there is a connection and you sense that O’Callaghan and his fellow elder statesmen in the squad will be calling on every man to deliver.
Pride must be restored, the fans from all six counties can not be disappointed again.
“I met a guy coming out the door from Tipp,” The lock says, returning once more to the Blues defeat. “And I was just thinking, ‘I’ll be at home sitting on my couch before him’. He’s made a big sacrifice coming to the game. You feel bad for guys like that.
“It’s overplayed sometimes, but that bond with support has always led to us going well.”
O'Callaghan: Munster intent on restoring pride among support
AFTER LOSING IN the manner they did to Cardiff Blues, Munster would be forgiven for trying to move swiftly on.
But they operate differently in the southern province.
Rather than brush their ill-timed worst performance of the season under the carpet, senior Reds seem keen to keep the issue live.
A rod for their own backs.
“It was more across the pitch than north-south.” Donncha O’Callaghan said yesterday of the frustratingly lateral lines trod into Musgrave Park during the 17-6 defeat.
“Then you put in close to 30 individual errors which, to be fair, no game-plan allows for. To be honest, that’s the most frustrating thing from a players’ point of view. People go on about the type of game we’re trying to play, but you can’t play any game if you make silly mistakes.
And, lest anyone think this was an exercise in finger-pointing from a man who was able to watch the game from the relative comfort of the stands, O’Callaghan was quick to add that every man has a part to play:
“It’s grand to be a hurler on the ditch, but I trained all last week and [you're left thinking] what can you do better. Hopefully it focuses the mind for this week.”
This week, brings Munster to Edinburgh, and the great big echo chamber that Murrayfield becomes in 10 months of the year when the national team are not around to draw the crowd in.
‘We need a result or it’s all over.’
Rob Penney’s side occupy third place in Pool 1 and need at least nine points to secure a potential best runners-up spot. A bonus point against the out-of-form Scots would set Thomond Park up nicely for a gripping finale on matchday six.
However, O’Callaghan shines a harsher light than that on Munster’s recent form.
“I’ll be honest, we’re not even thinking about [bonus points] it’s all result. We need a result or it’s all over.
And it’s not even that far; we’re thinking of a performance. We need to play well, like. We haven’t played well…” the lock stops himself before he has to stretch too far back through the fixture list.
“… in patches maybe against Ulster. Against Cardiff we were hugely disappointing. So as players we’re on each others backs for the detail and knowing our role so that the preference is right and hopefully a result will follow.”
©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Many will point to the dearth in atmosphere in Murrayfield as being a possible influence on the game. Both negative and positive arguments can be made for the early Sunday kick-off. But this game is too important for O’Callaghan to see it as anything other than a bear-pit.
“If it was four in the morning we’d be up for it.” He says forthrightly, before issuing a call to arms that has long proved essential for Munster – the rapport with their support.
‘It’s everything’
“It’s our season. It’s everything, 80 minutes of rugby to have the chance to have 80 minutes more. Otherwise it’s over.
“It doesn’t matter if there’s four people at it down in Cois Laoi in Cork or wherever. We have to get a result and we have to find a way.
The most disappointing thing about last Saturday was that we felt we left the supporters down, we let the squad down, we let coaches down. From a players point of view that’s hugely disappointing.
Every team gushes about its fans, and how great the support is. But in Munster, there is a connection and you sense that O’Callaghan and his fellow elder statesmen in the squad will be calling on every man to deliver.
Pride must be restored, the fans from all six counties can not be disappointed again.
“I met a guy coming out the door from Tipp,” The lock says, returning once more to the Blues defeat. “And I was just thinking, ‘I’ll be at home sitting on my couch before him’. He’s made a big sacrifice coming to the game. You feel bad for guys like that.
“It’s overplayed sometimes, but that bond with support has always led to us going well.”
-Additional reporting by Live 95. Follow them on Twitter.
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