Munster's win has knock-on benefits

Typical Munster really. There Leinster were meant to be, left in splendid isolation on the final Sunday of the pool stages, to secure a sixth straight win and carry the Irish flag into the quarter-finals with a number one ranking after Munster had made an honourable exit the day before. Instead Munster go and hog it again.

Even a couple of days on you still have to wonder did it really happen. Munster have never won the Heineken European Cup - so far. Yet, while it's hard not to be a bit biased, you still have to wonder has any team given this competition so much, so many memorable days.

Of course it could be argued that the European Cup has been good for Munster and Irish rugby. Imagine Munster's existence, or Irish rugby for that matter, this past eight years without it? Backed conservatively by the IRFU to begin with, who were only prepared to fully contract a small number of players in each province rather than entire squads, the Irish provinces struggled before gradually starting to flourish.

Time was when the combined winning ratio of the Irish provinces (it was five wins and 13 defeats from 18 matches played) left them joint fourth after the pool stages with the Scottish districts, some way behind even the Welsh, with the French and English out of sight. This season the Irish provinces would now top a national table based on the ratio of wins (which was 14 wins and just four defeats as, for the second year running, the three of them won their nine home games combined).

In the 1997-98 season, the table read: first - England 79 (per cent); second - France 65, third - Wales 52; fourth - Ireland and Scotland, 28 each; sixth - Italy 25. This season, it reads: first - Ireland 78 (per cent); second - France 58; third - 57; fourth - Wales 34.5; fifth - Scotland 33; sixth - Italy 20.

The benefits for the Irish team have been incalculable in terms of exposure to a higher standard of rugby and the confidence that has come from their improved performances. And once again the benefits of Munster's great escape from Pool Two will have, presumably, nothing but positive repercussions for Irish rugby. It means that instead of Munster's season effectively ending with the Celtic League final on February 1st, which has been given an additional fillip by the events at Thomond Park on Saturday, they and their supporters have their April quarter-final to look forward to.

With the bulk of the Irish squad drawn from Leinster and Munster, and both provinces through to the last eight in Europe, it will surely sustain the Irish squad better through the Six Nations. In any event, it gives Paul O'Connell, David Wallace, Rob Henderson, Anthony Horgan and the rest of their walking wounded so much more incentive to regain fitness.

Most of all, it just gives a general boost to the Irish rugby psyche, and it's hard not to believe the European Cup will be better for Munster's presence in the last eight as well.

IT STILL seems incredible that seemingly the players -  and possibly most if not all of the management teams, as well as large chunks of the 13,500 capacity crowd and perhaps even some of the media, and even the tournament organisers -  weren't fully aware  of the importance of Ronan O'Gara's final conversion.

This perhaps demonstrates how Munster, no less than Gloucester, hadn't fully done their homework, or perhaps the extent to which both teams seriously considered the notion of Munster edging out the English league leaders. On one level it's a little humbling, as this newspaper explained quite clearly in last Monday's and Saturday's sports supplements that a four-try win wasn't sufficient in itself, it had to be accompanied by a 27-point winning margin.

More importantly, though, it now provides better and purer rugby occasions than the Six Nations. The complexities of the final weekend and the permutations therein again highlight the flaws and teething problems in this competition - wherein the six pool winners and only the two best runners-up progress.

Diarmaid Murphy, the ERC media manager, maintains that "the format of the competition provides a hell of a lot of excitement as well as confusion. It meant that 13 teams were still involved going into the final weekend, and there were only two dead rubbers as such."

Be that as it may, there were far too many mismatches, with one team seeking a try fest whereas others who were already out of contention were a mite too dilettante. Cardiff, like Swansea and Newport a week before, ought to be ashamed of themselves after conceding 13 tries to Biarritz in a 75-25 rout which, coincidentally, was exactly what the French champions needed to pip Bourgoin for the last runners-up slot.

Bourgoin were running in five tries in their 43-15 defeat of Sale. Interestingly, both games were scheduled for the same kick-off time on Saturday, though the Biarritz game actually kicked off two minutes later and the three minutes of injury time Italian referee Giulio di Santis played in each half meant Bourgoin's game finished in time to leave Biarritz knowing their precise target.

It has caused outrage in France and particularly Bourgoin, who are suspicious of the influence which Serge Blanco, president of the Ligue Nationale du Rugby, political heavyweight Marcel Martin and rich benefactor Serge Kamps exert.

The Bourgoin club chairman, Pierre Martinez, commented: "What happened is like mafia. It is a shame for rugby. This was the same Italian referee who killed us in Glasgow (where Bourgoin lost by a point under a welter of penalties). He killed us a second time with all the penalties and the extra minutes he gave to Biarritz."

The former France number eight, Thomas Lievrement, now with Biarritz, admitted their tie with Cardiff was more akin to sevens rugby.

"It was the easiest game physically that I have ever played in my life. There was no physical commitment, no big hits."

The Cardiff coach, David Young, maintained his side played well in the first half, that the competition had demonstrated their squad is not strong enough, "but we have tried hard".

Imagine if they hadn't?