Time to produce the goods again

Gerry Thornleytalks to Paul O'Connell, who says Munster are fully expecting a huge Northampton challenge

FOR ALL the sense of déjà vu you could never tire of Anglo-Irish shootouts at Thomond Park. They are part of the Heineken Cup’s raison d’etre. Miracles and last-minute dramatics come to mind, as does one of the sorest Munster defeats of all – their only cup defeat at their Limerick citadel. Certainly Paul O’Connell, who’s been involved in all of them, hasn’t tired of them.

“There’s massive excitement for it. You’re looking forward to the game but there’s obviously a big fear there of losing, and losing at home. So it’s a great week to be involved but a tough week as well.

“It’s a game you have to look forward to, an English team coming to Thomond Park on the last weekend of the pool stages, it’s a great game to be involved in.”

Unlike that Leicester game though, and akin to the “miracle match” win over Gloucester in 2003, the bonus point win over Sale in ’06 courtesy of David Wallace’s 80th-minute try and the sleeves-rolled-up win over Wasps two seasons ago, once more Munster are also looking for revenge.

Furthermore, they also lost the only other previous meeting, that heartbreaking 9-8 decider at Twickenham, which set Munster’s “magnificent obsession” into motion.

O’Connell, then 20, can’t remember where he watched that game on television.

“I was a long way off the squad. I absolutely would have been a fan and everything, but I didn’t make the journey over. A disappointing day.”

The only team without a tick in Munster’s win box?

“I didn’t know that. It’s an interesting stat. Coming into this game they’re on a run of 10 victories, pulling out wins and big plays in the dying moments of games. They’re a very good team, as good as that Leicester side that came over and beat us.”

It’s clear O’Connell and co, true to type, will be using the memory of the 13-6 defeat to Leicester three years ago as the most relevant case history.

“That memory always adds to the fear factor of playing in Thomond Park, especially against sides with the quality of Northampton. It was a very tough, disappointing day for everyone involved.”

There was an absence of any discernible fear in the free-running three try-salvo which blitzed Treviso early on last Saturday and, mindful of not encumbering the team’s ambition, O’Connell accepts it’s about finding a balance.

“Sometimes that fear of losing can be crippling and sometimes if you don’t have it, and certainly for us, we tend not to perform.”

The finishing in Treviso particularly pleased the Munster skipper, notably, he joked, the first try by Denis Hurley which he was heavily involved in, though, as ever, it’s never black or white with O’Connell, and “there’s no fear of us getting ahead of ourselves”.

Reflecting on the opening day defeat to Northampton, O’Connell (who was making his first start of the season) conceded the scrum and the breakdown hurt Munster.

“The breakdown just stemmed any momentum we built in the game. They’re very good there, they’re good at being illegal there. Our first ball off the top we went wide and they poached it – penalty straight away. We went wide a few minutes later and they poached it again, so the breakdown is a massive part of the game.”

O’Connell echoed McGahan’s view that Munster have worked “massively” and improved at the breakdown – witness how they cleaned out Perpignan in the Aime Giral there – and also feels the breakdown has been refereed well lately, especially at Heineken Cup and Test level.

That said, clearly the presence of Romain Poite for the first time since Munster’s at times controversial defeat by the All Blacks last season is a concern.

Pausing and choosing his words carefully, O’Connell said: “Some of the guys were a bit, I suppose, a bit confused at some of the decisions but up to now in the Heineken Cup and in the internationals I think it’s been good.”

Fingers crossed that it stays that way.