Connacht ready for Munster backlash

Both before and immediately after Munster duly beat Connacht on the opening weekend in the Interprovincial Championship, the second half of the championship seemed more likely to be offering the durable Connachtmen a chance of salvation. Instead, amazingly, it is Munster's need which is greater than anyone's, beginning with the first return fixture in Dooradoyle this afternoon (2.30).

The title itself is probably out of sight, but in the event of another defeat, Munster will not even have a top two place. Indeed, were it not for that slightly fortuitous 18-13 win in Galway, when Munster probably benefitted from having a couple of preparatory run-outs, they would now be tailed off about seven points off the remaining three provinces.

Decidedly off-colour performances in the defeats by Leinster and Ulster, either side of a win over Edinburgh Reivers, the hunt for Munster's best team continues.

Having made five changes for the Reivers game and another five for the Ulster match, Shane Leahy's return from injury and John Lacey's recall due to John Kelly's twisted knee in midweek training means there are eight changes in personnel from the side which lost to Ulster, with a couple of positional switches as well.

In effect, therefore, only Mick Galwey and Anthony Foley of the pack, along with left-winger Anthony Horgan, centre Mick Lynch and fullback Eric Crotty begin this game where they started in Ravenhill.

However, as Declan Kidney points out, there is only one change in the pack and two among the backs (one of which is due to Rhys Ellison's injury) from the side which ended last season with a win over Harlequins.

Indeed, with the recall of six Limerick forwards and four Shannonmen up front, even to the exclusion of David Wallace (Munster's best performer against Ulster) there's more than a hint of back to basics about their approach to today's game.

This is all the more so as the promoted Tom Tierney at scrum-half is more of a ninth forward than Brian O'Meara, while Killian Keane has a bigger boot than Ronan O'Gara. Aside from Leahy, having Eddie Halvey and Alan Quinlan back in tandem either side of Anthony Foley, and with Mark McDermott delivering the throws, Munster should also have their best line-out of the season.

By contrast, Connacht are more limited in this regard. With their resources almost down to the bare bones, a back-row of Ian Dillon and Shane McEntee as auxiliary open sides either side of Junior Charlie as a converted number eight, again would seem to limit their options to the front and middle.

Yet, given the recall of John Maher at loose-head and Graham Heaslip in the second row, their pack appear well suited to the type of quick tempo, mobile game which can often unhinge Munster and put them under pressure from the off, as Leinster and Ulster did.

As Connacht's line-out options are limited, the best means of attacking Munster further out will be to utilise the powerful up-the-middle running of Mervyn Murphy, and recycle the ball quickly. The Murphy-Pat Duignan alliance has easily been the most prolific midfield partnership around, with five tries between them, and one recalls how suddenly porous the Keane-Lynch-Walsh Munster midfield defence became within moments of Ellison departing in the first meeting.

Heretofore, though, Connacht have been leaving themselves with too much ground to make up after unsure starts which left them trailing Munster by 6-0, Ulster by 12-0 and Leinster by 19-0. For their next trick?

"There's a limit to what you can achieve in the second half," admits Glenn Ross, who is anticipating a Munster backlash. "Which is why we've got to compete for the first 1015 minutes, otherwise we're going to be on the back foot for the rest of the game."