Rugby

Denis Leamy confident Munster will relish Northampton assignment

RG Snyman’s availability a timely boost in advance of Champions Cup visit to Premiership leaders at Franklin’s Gardens

Munster's Jeremy Loughman and Peter O’Mahony in action against Emmanuel Iyogun and Elliot Millar-Mills during last January's clash at Thomond Park. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Gerry Thornley
Thu Apr 4 2024 - 06:00

If the history of the Champions Cup has taught us anything it is surely never to write off Munster, least of all on the basis of their performance a week before returning to the competition, which they have adorned with memorable wins over the years.

Hence they have parked their stodgy 20-15 win over Cardiff last Saturday and refocused on next Sunday’s Round of 16 tie away to high-flying Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off 12.30pm).

“It’s Europe, it’s Munster in England against the Premiership leaders. Written off. It’s Munster,” said defence coach Denis Leamy, summing up their task succinctly.

They have indeed been given little or no chance by one or two pundits across the water, in large part due to Northampton winning 11 of their last dozen matches, including a 26-23 victory over Munster at Thomond Park last January.

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“You sense it [being written off], but it’s important not to overplay that,” said Leamy, himself a two-time Champions Cup winner. “That’s not what we’re about in terms of that siege mentality. But Northampton have earned the right to be favourites, they’ve earned the right to be spoken about the way they play the game.

Munster’s defence coach cited their array of English internationals, like fit-again scrumhalf Alex Mitchell, who missed last Friday’s win over Saracens and outhalf Fin Smith – “he’s probably going to be a Lion or certainly an English player for a number of years” – as well as the inspirational Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Curtis Langdon.

“That’s why people will make them favourites and say Munster have a difficult job to do,” said Leamy, who nonetheless pointed to Munster’s wins in Glasgow, Dublin and Cape Town last season, as well as Toulon.

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“We’re good enough to go to Northampton and put in a performance.”

Leamy spoke about respecting the opposition – “It’s part of our DNA, we always would. We do our homework, a lot of homework, and we see the quality Northampton have” – and of not adopting a revenge mentality, but instead improving on their performance in January, of laying solid foundations.

“And when we get our attack flowing we’re a real handful; a possession-based team looking for high possession, high phases, high work-rate, speed, everything we talk about.

Denis Leamy: 'We're good enough to go away to Northampton and put in a performance." Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

“Then when they’re in possession, the ability to go toe-to-toe with them. Analysing their attack, they throw so many varieties of types of attack. They can go to [with] width, they can go through you, they disguise their plays really well.

“They’re very gifted players so how we control the contacts, taking time away from their ball players, controlling the contact, trying to get two into the tackle, slowing up their breakdown, all those controllable and battles are key.”

Although Calvin Nash remains doubtful with the calf injury he sustained in Ireland’s title-clinching win over Scotland, critically RG Snyman is expected to recover from the illness which ruled him out of the Cardiff game.

Snyman has still never started a match at Thomond Park and won’t do for Munster in this season’s Champions Cup. However, if they are to emulate their circuitous away journey to last season’s URC title, Snyman is critical given his explosive carrying and exceptional offloading game.

RG Snyman: 'He’s a very, very good player. So, fingers crossed he makes it through the next few days,' said Denis Leamy

“He’s an outrageously gifted rugby player, isn’t he? He’s experienced, he’s a double World Cup winner. When he speaks, guys listen and he’s a very impressive person, a very impressive man and just his physicality and his ability on the ball, really gives you something. He’s a very, very good player. So, fingers crossed he makes it through the next few days,” said Leamy.

The one-year deal which Conor Murray has agreed with Munster and the IRFU looks like good business by all parties, and well-timed.

“Conor is a legend of the province,” said Leamy. “He’s been an incredible servant to Munster, he’s Munster home bred and just to have him around, his experience, plus his playing ability, it’s great news, it really is.

“He’s been around a long time, and he’s been one of our best players for the last 25 years and that goes without saying I guess.”

That an announcement concerning a one-year extension was not also made on the eve of this game regarding Peter O’Mahony will be disconcerting for Munster fans. Conceivably, this could be O’Mahony’s last Champions Cup game if Munster don’t progress, with his future to be revealed “very soon” according to Leamy.

Alternatively, if Munster do confound the doubters again, they will earn an away quarter-final a week later. The squad will then regroup in their HPC next Tuesday and face a long-haul journey via France to face the Bulls in Pretoria – and stay on for their ensuing two URC games, once more against the Bulls and the Lions in Johannesburg – or travel later in the week to face Lyon.

“That would be brilliant, really good if that could happen,” said Leamy of the possibility of a three-week trek to South Africa.

“It’s almost like the old school tours; we go to play the Bulls twice and then the Lions. I think you find your own kind of solace in that and your own desires in that.

“There’s an awful lot of rugby and an awful lot in it for us so we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I think we have a huge bridge to cross on Sunday but those plans are in place and well deal with that if we get there.”

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley is Rugby Correspondent of The Irish Times

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