COULD THIS BE Munster’s year in Europe? Given how last season unfolded the province’s supporters have every right to dream as another Champions Cup campaign gets underway today at home to Bayonne [KO 5.30pm, RTÉ/TNT Sports].
This time they go into the European club rugby’s showpiece tournament as URC champions and as much as they savoured last season’s memorable win in Cape Town, this is still the one they really crave.
It’s now 15 years since Munster last lifted the European Cup but this season the pieces may just fall into place for Graham Rowntree’s side. Home games against Bayonne and Northampton (20 January) look very winnable for the province, and they’ll hold no fear going on the road to Exeter (17 December) and Toulon (13 January). Secure a home run in the knockouts and who knows what can happen.
Today looks an ideal way for Munster to ease themselves into the tournament.
Bayonne currently sit 10th in the Top 14, picking up four wins from their opening nine games. It perhaps bodes well for Munster that all four of those wins came at home, with Bayonne losing all five of their Top 14 games on the road this season.
They do have some quality in their side but travel without former France international Camille Lopez and Wallaby Reece Hodge, who has yet to play for his new club since joining after the World Cup.
The French side struggled in the Challenge Cup last season, posting the lowest win rate in the competition (35.5%) and averaging one try per 80 minutes.
They’ll have their work cut out to keep Munster’s all-action attack under wraps today. Rowntree’s team have been humming with ball in hand in the URC, scoring some excellent tries as they look to keep the ball in hand and stretch opposition defences – with Craig Casey’s opening score against Leinster and Diarmuid Barron’s try against Glasgow last week two recent examples.
Mike Prendergast’s fingerprints are now all over this Munster team. Just 15.5% of their possessions in the URC have ended with a kick – the lowest in rate in the league – while their tries have come after a league-high average of 5.8 phases.
It will be interesting to see how a revamped Munster backline fare today. Academy winger Shay McCarthy is handed a first Champions Cup start while Calvin Nash starts at fullback for the first time. Alex Nankivell is another to start in Europe for the first time while Conor Murray gets the nod over Craig Casey to partner Jack Crowley in the halfbacks.
If those Munster backs get their tails up today, they can do serious damage.
Of course, they do still have some areas of concern. Conceding five maul tries against Glasgow will have been deemed utterly unacceptable and they go into this game without key leaders Peter O’Mahony and Jean Kleyn.
Yet those absences would have been more concerning 12 months ago. As Rowntree looks to select Munster’s next full-time captain, he has plenty of leaders in his squad. Tadhg Beirne captains the side this evening while young players like Crowley (23), John Hodnett (24) and Gavin Coombes (25) feel like senior members of the group now.
They all stepped up on Munster’s run to URC success last year and the mission now is to push things on again. This used to feel like Munster’s competition but it’s been some time since they’ve felt like genuine contenders.
We won’t get a clear idea of their credentials until later in the year but this looks an ideal start for a squad who should, and will, be aiming high in Europe this season.
The supporters at Thomond Park believe again and while European glory may yet be a step too far, the signs suggest Munster could be one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the competition this season.
MUNSTER: Calvin Nash; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Rory Scannell, Sean O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Scott Buckley, John Ryan; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne; Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherley, Stephen Archer, Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Craig Casey, Tony Butler, Ben O’Connor.
BAYONNE: Cheikh Tiberghien; Bastien Pourailly, Peyo Muscarditz, Riko Buliruarua, Rémy Baget; Thomas Dolhagaray, Maxime Machenaud; Matis Perchaud, Facundo Bosch, Tevita Tatafu; Denis Marchois, Kote Mikautadze; Pierre Huguet, Baptiste Heguy, Rodrigo Bruni.
Replacements: Thomas Acquier, Swan Cormenier, Junior Tagi, Arthur Iturria, Rémi Bourdeau, Gela Aprasidze, Arnaud Erbinartegaray, Tom Spring.
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
