'In control of our own destiny now'

AFTER NEGOTIATING their way for the last decade through the minefield that is the Heineken Cup group stages like no one else, Munster have an in-built calculator, complete with warning lights, about what is required.

Witness the crucial losing bonus point in Clermont last season, without which none of their knock-out deeds would have been possible.

They know the maths, and last weekend's opening matches left them in little doubt a defeat yesterday might have left them relying on favours elsewhere if they wanted to win the group.

"You don't win competitions in October but you can certainly lose them and that's the way we felt this week," revealed David Wallace, whose value to Munster over the last decade was emphasised by his man-of-the-match performance in reverting to number eight.

"It was obvious our backs were to the wall with Sale getting the bonus point (last week), so we had only one train of thought going into this game and that was to win. It focused the mind."

This was their fifth win out of 11 pool games in England, and their eighth overall out of 15. "Paul mentioned it today. And it's just something we want to do," said Wallace. "Playing away from home is no excuse. It's still 15 against 15."

Echoing Wallace, Ronan O'Gara confirmed how much last week's under-par performance was also a source of motivation. "That was a big win for us today, especially after last weekend. The performance wasn't up to scratch. We were disappointed, as a management and a squad. Tony questioned us and the reaction in the first 40, I thought, was excellent. We went to sleep for a while but Sale were always going to have a purple patch. With 20 minutes to go it was game on and we pulled away in the end."

If the match-clinching drop goal which also denied Sale a bonus point felt like one of the sweetest of his career, O'Gara pointed out: "In sport everything happens so quickly and changes, and tomorrow is a new week but five points is a dangerous lead against Sale. Eight points is game over so I was very satisfied with that."

Most of them had the additional spur of avenging the 27-13 defeat here two seasons ago. Wallace was a substitute and Tomás O'Leary started that night. "We didn't turn up on the night so it's nice to put that right and get off to a good start in the group and make sure we're ahead and leading the way. We're in control of our own destiny now and it's up to us to win every game."

O'Leary admitted there was "a bit of concern" at not being further ahead at half-time "but there was no panic at all." Having "sat back and let them come at us" in the third quarter, a similar mindset prevailed when Sale drew level. "Paulie and Rog just said get down there and play territory, and build the phases again. Once we did that we got over for the try so there was no panic at all."

Much of the post-match debate centred round the improvement wrought by Charlie Hodgson and Philippe Saint Andre admitted he may have got it wrong, although countered that Sale still came back to 16-all before further mistakes undid their challenge.

"Munster are a good team, they are not European champions because they are lucky," said Sale's director of rugby. "If you make mistakes they punish you. When you are at home and are 13-3 behind with the wind behind you it is difficult. We still came back to 16-16 but they were more clinical than us and each time we made a mistake or lost a ball in contact they punished us."

Saint Andre sounded like a man who knew his team had been beaten by a superior force. "We are disappointed but every time you play Munster it is like a Test match."