SEVEN TIMES ROSS Byrne travelled down the M7 for a Christmas derby at Thomond Park. Saturday could well be his eighth trip to Munster, but this time while sporting a different strip to the blue of his home province.
Byrne, for the first time since leaving Leinster’s cluster of out-halves in favour of more seniority in England’s West Country, returns to Irish soil. Cork, rather than Limerick, is the destination as Munster welcome Gloucester to Páirc Uí Chaoimh. A familiar personal rivalry on unfamiliar territory for the former Leinsterman.
“It’ll be different,” Byrne says. “Whenever Leinster play Munster, it’s the biggest derby in Irish rugby, if not across Europe. That won’t be there but from my own perspective, I’ll have that subconsciously in the back of my mind a little bit.
“But it’ll be trying to focus on what Gloucester can do to implement our gameplan on Munster and see what problems we can cause them.”
Of his seven trips to Munster, Byrne won six. His only defeat came on St Stephen’s Day 2016, CJ Stander and Simon Zebo among the try-scorers in a 29-17 Munster victory. “It was definitely a big lesson in my career,” says Byrne.
“Game management, even managing the crowd and the atmosphere. I got sucked into it a little too much, made a few mistakes. The crowd got up and all of a sudden Munster turned into a different team. They go on a roll, a couple of penalties, maul, try, and the game is over.”
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A year later, in 2017, Byrne started again as Leinster this time turned over their rivals in the Christmas fixture. The game is memorable for Jordan Larmour’s stunning try on kick-return.
Byrne labels this victory as his favourite memory of Thomond Park. “The difference in that 2017 game was we went there and took away the atmosphere. Obviously it’s easier said than done. They always manage to have their say in the game, the crowd, which is brilliant.
“To go down [a year] later and put those wrongs right was pretty satisfying, I still enjoy it now.”
The significance of playing in a GAA ground in Cork may well be lost on most of Gloucester’s squad. Byrne will make sure his teammates are aware of what exactly they’re walking in to. “There’ll definitely be something I touch on,” he says.
“Also how, for a club like Munster, how important they see Europe. It will definitely be something we speak about.”
Byrne has a different view of the Champions Cup these days. Instead of being in a Leinster squad which saw the competition as their holy grail, his Gloucester outfit only referenced Europe for the first time this season prior to their round one win over Castres. Such is the reality of being a Premiership side with just one win from the opening six games.
Still, Byrne reaffirms his strong feelings for the competition. He also has an opinion on the much-maligned format, agreeing with fans who miss the old days of teams playing each other home and away.
“I think it was brilliant. I love this competition, I’m a bit biased towards it. When I was watching it growing up, that was a huge thing: teams playing back-to-back. I preferred that format.
“Someone said to me earlier, imagine we were playing Munster in Páirc UÍ Chaoimh and then they were coming back [to Gloucester], how good would that be from a fan’s perspective? It’s a bit disappointing it’s gone.
“I understand there are challenges with, they only have a certain amount of weekends a year that they can put the competition on, and they’re trying to deal with three different leagues. I’m not privy to all the information and conversations that go on, but personally I loved the home and away.”
Given the opponent, Byrne inevitably is asked about Jack Crowley who, all being well, is expected to be fit after missing Munster’s defeat to Bath. While this pair have spent time together in Ireland camp, they have only started against each other twice, one occasion seeing Crowley line out in the 12 jersey.
“A big strength of his is his running game but individual moments as well,” says Byrne. “I don’t know how many times you see him catch a ball in the backfield, chip it over the top and he regathers it.
“When he goes back and you think you have him in a corner, he manages to get out of it. I think his individual moments are brilliant. The rest of his game is pretty strong as well. You always have to be on because he does have the ability to pull something out of nothing.”
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'Watching it growing up, that was a huge thing: teams playing back-to-back. I preferred that format'
SEVEN TIMES ROSS Byrne travelled down the M7 for a Christmas derby at Thomond Park. Saturday could well be his eighth trip to Munster, but this time while sporting a different strip to the blue of his home province.
Byrne, for the first time since leaving Leinster’s cluster of out-halves in favour of more seniority in England’s West Country, returns to Irish soil. Cork, rather than Limerick, is the destination as Munster welcome Gloucester to Páirc Uí Chaoimh. A familiar personal rivalry on unfamiliar territory for the former Leinsterman.
“It’ll be different,” Byrne says. “Whenever Leinster play Munster, it’s the biggest derby in Irish rugby, if not across Europe. That won’t be there but from my own perspective, I’ll have that subconsciously in the back of my mind a little bit.
“But it’ll be trying to focus on what Gloucester can do to implement our gameplan on Munster and see what problems we can cause them.”
Of his seven trips to Munster, Byrne won six. His only defeat came on St Stephen’s Day 2016, CJ Stander and Simon Zebo among the try-scorers in a 29-17 Munster victory. “It was definitely a big lesson in my career,” says Byrne.
“Game management, even managing the crowd and the atmosphere. I got sucked into it a little too much, made a few mistakes. The crowd got up and all of a sudden Munster turned into a different team. They go on a roll, a couple of penalties, maul, try, and the game is over.”
A year later, in 2017, Byrne started again as Leinster this time turned over their rivals in the Christmas fixture. The game is memorable for Jordan Larmour’s stunning try on kick-return.
Byrne labels this victory as his favourite memory of Thomond Park. “The difference in that 2017 game was we went there and took away the atmosphere. Obviously it’s easier said than done. They always manage to have their say in the game, the crowd, which is brilliant.
“To go down [a year] later and put those wrongs right was pretty satisfying, I still enjoy it now.”
The significance of playing in a GAA ground in Cork may well be lost on most of Gloucester’s squad. Byrne will make sure his teammates are aware of what exactly they’re walking in to. “There’ll definitely be something I touch on,” he says.
“Also how, for a club like Munster, how important they see Europe. It will definitely be something we speak about.”
Byrne has a different view of the Champions Cup these days. Instead of being in a Leinster squad which saw the competition as their holy grail, his Gloucester outfit only referenced Europe for the first time this season prior to their round one win over Castres. Such is the reality of being a Premiership side with just one win from the opening six games.
Still, Byrne reaffirms his strong feelings for the competition. He also has an opinion on the much-maligned format, agreeing with fans who miss the old days of teams playing each other home and away.
“I think it was brilliant. I love this competition, I’m a bit biased towards it. When I was watching it growing up, that was a huge thing: teams playing back-to-back. I preferred that format.
“Someone said to me earlier, imagine we were playing Munster in Páirc UÍ Chaoimh and then they were coming back [to Gloucester], how good would that be from a fan’s perspective? It’s a bit disappointing it’s gone.
“I understand there are challenges with, they only have a certain amount of weekends a year that they can put the competition on, and they’re trying to deal with three different leagues. I’m not privy to all the information and conversations that go on, but personally I loved the home and away.”
Given the opponent, Byrne inevitably is asked about Jack Crowley who, all being well, is expected to be fit after missing Munster’s defeat to Bath. While this pair have spent time together in Ireland camp, they have only started against each other twice, one occasion seeing Crowley line out in the 12 jersey.
“A big strength of his is his running game but individual moments as well,” says Byrne. “I don’t know how many times you see him catch a ball in the backfield, chip it over the top and he regathers it.
“When he goes back and you think you have him in a corner, he manages to get out of it. I think his individual moments are brilliant. The rest of his game is pretty strong as well. You always have to be on because he does have the ability to pull something out of nothing.”
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