Niall Ronan, of Meath and formerly Leinster, has benefited from an extended run in the Munster team. GERRY THORNLEYreports

ASIDE FROM having the greater need for the points and having home advantage, there is also the small matter of Munster pride on the line. On foot of last season’s campaign-defining defeat in the Heineken Cup semi-final, the indignity of the 30-0 Magners League defeat at the RDS last October was like applying vinegar to an open wound.

Such was the expectation of a Munster backlash that day that the bookies could hardly lay a bet on Leinster in the week building up to the game. In the event, Tony McGahan opted to ease many of his frontliners back into the campaign that night and earlier this week was reminding us of that.

Keith Earls made his first start of the season that night, and at fullback, while Paul O’Connell, Jerry Flannery, David Wallace and Paul Warwick all made their seasonal reappearances off the bench in the second half, by which stage much of the damage had been done. What’s more, several others had only returned to action the previous week.

Even so, the ledger still reads 55-6 to Leinster in the last two meetings, and for all the talk of the four points at stake being their primary concern, Niall Ronan admits Munster have pride on the line in front of their own fans tonight.

“It’s always a big occasion. The last time we played we didn’t perform, as an individual I was disappointed and I think a lot of the squad felt the same way. It’s a massive game – we lost the last two games against Leinster so we want to redeem ourselves, and playing at home, we’re hoping for a good performance.”

Nor does any talk of Munster being rusty really wash, least of all with themselves. “Yeah, we wouldn’t use that as an excuse, as a team. A lot of lads were just back from pre-season, but ultimately they won the battle that day; it’s up to us to turn that around this weekend, get the win.”

Whether or not Leinster, whose scrum impressed again last week, will attack an aspect of Munster’s game that has been something of an Achilles heel this season; to what extent the absence of O’Connell will effect the lineout battle; the lines-in-the-sand confrontations in contact and at the breakdown; the kicking duel off the ground and out of hand; atttitude will be key given the weather forecast makes an arm wrestle all the likelier.

“Well, it’s a derby game, the whole country is watching. It’s going to be a big game this weekend,” says Ronan. “You want to win every game playing with Munster but it is a special occasion when you’re playing Leinster, the two biggest teams in the country.”

As a former Leinster player from Meath, all the more so for the openside himself. “Ah, obviously some of my friends are Leinster friends. My family will be down to support me, but as I said before, every game is a big game but this is going to be special.”

Denis Leamy’s long-term absence has afforded Ronan a rare extended run in the Munster line-up – he has started seven of their last eight games and 13 in total this season – and he has grasped it with both hands. A talented all-round footballer who is good on the ball and snuffs out defensive situations effectively and tackles clinically, Ronan has benefited from bulking up under the Munster regime. However, his increased ability to win turnovers at the breakdown could be stymied by the IRB’s new edict.

“It’s frustrating at times, you don’t know if you’re allowed poach the ball, contest for it. You have to speak to the referee, see what his interpretation is going to be, take it from there. Other than that there’s nothing you can do, really – I think sometimes the ref doesn’t know himself what the rules are. We’ll just see what happens at the weekend.”

Ronan has sought out David Wallace for his experiences at the hands of three South African referees in succession on foot of the IRB referees’ chief Paddy O’Brien reinforcing the edict. Wallace, of course, had been part of a prime example of the new edict against Wales when wrestling the ball in contact only to be penalised. What had been good play up until that game, effectively, had suddenly become illegal.

“He said it’s difficult, your natural instinct is to grab the guy and go down with him, now you have to release him and then go – that’s the split second that can stop you from winning the ball. It is going to be difficult, going to take a while to get used to. I don’t know how it’s going to be reffed in the Magners League, it’s still up in the air.

“In my opinion, I don’t think they should have changed anything,” said Ronan when asked his opinion. “It might give the attacking side more opportunities, more time to clean out the ruck; if you have to release for that split second it might give them time to get to the breakdown. I’d prefer that they’d go back to the old interpretation, that you can just go straight in and contest.”

Spoken like a true openside.