THERE IS LITTLE margin for error in the newly-recast European Champions Cup and Peter O’Mahony is all too aware that his side will be unable to play the get out of jail free card as the competition intensifies – not least when Saracens visit Thomond Park on Friday evening.
Ian Keatley’s last gasp drop-goal at the AJ Bell Stadium last weekend ensured Munster’s campaign began with a win despite a below-par performance. However, the arrival of the Aviva Premiership heavyweights to town represents a far stiffer challenge.
Having won three on the bounce in all competitions, Munster are building up a head of steam after a slow start to the season but Mark McCall’s side will provide a significant appraisal of their credentials under Anthony Foley.
Saracens were last season’s runners-up in the now defunct Heineken Cup and the Londoners will be keen to go one step further this time around. They had little trouble swatting French giants Clermont Auvergne aside in the opening round of fixtures to take an early lead in Pool One and O’Mahony sees similarities between them and the Munster sides that have triumphed in Europe.
“They’re a bit like Munster teams of the past,” says the skipper. “Saracens are a hugely impressive team and they’ve been knocking on the door over the last couple of years. They’re still chasing their first European trophy but that will make them even hungrier.
“We haven’t really concentrated on them too much because we need to focus on what we need to do ourselves but we know they’re a fairly complete side.”
“They are extremely dangerous and can attack from all angles because they have quality players littered all over the pitch.”
The visitors are boosted by the return of England international Owen Farrell, who has made only one start this term due to a quad complaint. The out-half was named in Stuart Lancaster’s squad for the forthcoming internationals earlier this week and he’ll be keen to prove his fitness on Friday.
Saracens will, however, be forced to plan without South African Schalk Brits, who sustained a knee injury during the win over Clermont. That said, their pack is one of the competition’s most powerful and O’Mahony knows they have no shortage of firepower at their disposal.
“Their line-out attack set-piece is very impressive as well. They obviously have a very good back three, their half-backs are very impressive and you have guys like Vunipola who are big carriers. They’ve a nice balance. We have to deal with all of those things,” O’Mahony continued.
“I think an important thing for us is this week is to look after ourselves and look after what we can control. We need to up our performance by 20 to 30% against a team of this calibre.”
After admitting his side were lethargic in defence last week, Foley has opted to shuffle his pack with both James Cronin and BJ Botha recalled to the front row. O’Mahony, who himself is still working his way back to full fitness, insists the whole squad have put in the hard yards this week to ensure there is no repeat of the defensive mishaps that saw them surrender a 16 point deficit in Manchester.
“We were defensively poor and we struggled in the breakdown last week because we didn’t stick to our systems. We’ve had a fairly honest review day and it’s important that we put those things right because you’re going to get punished in this competition every day of the week.”
O’Mahony’s admission that his side go into the game as underdogs may be little more than mind games but history is certainly on Munster’s side. The two sides are no strangers to each other having met fives times with the Irish province coming out on top in four of those encounters.
Although tickets remain available, according to Munster’s website, a sell-out crowd of 26,000 is expected to descend on the Limerick venue and O’Mahony is all too aware of the part the home crowd play on such occasions.
“European game, Friday night and a 7.45 kick-off, all the ingredients are there. You saw the support we had over in Sale and to think people have been questioning our supporters over the last few months.”
“I stood with Robin Copeland after the game and it was obviously his first European game for us and he just couldn’t believe the stands were full of red.”
With European rugby returning to Thomond Park for the first time since Munster’s thumping quarter-final win over Toulouse last April, O’Mahony is expecting another evening to savour.
“You can’t really put it into words. They always seem to show up for us where ever we go. They’re brilliant and we need a big showing from them on Friday night.”
He’ll be hoping he and his teammates can live up to the occasion.
Munster Rugby: Felix Jones; Andrew Conway, Andrew Smith, Denis Hurley, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; James Cronin, Duncan Casey, BJ Botha, Dave Foley, Paul O’Connell, Peter O’Mahony (c), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander
Replacements: Eusebio Guinazu, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Billy Holland, Robin Copeland, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Gerhard van den Heever
Saracens: Alex Goode; Chris Ashton, Marcelo Bosch, Brad Barritt (c), David Strettle; Owen Farrell, Neil de Kock; Richard Barrington, Jamie George, Petrus du Plessis, George Kruis, Jim Hamilton, Kelly Brown, Will Fraser, Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Scott Spurling, Rhys Gill, James Johnston, Mouritz Botha, Jackson Wray, Richard Wigglesworth, Charlie Hodgson, Duncan Taylor
Referee: Jerome Garces (France)
Broadcaster: BT Sport
