Same Again In More Ways Than One
27th December 2004 By Munster Rugby
Almost twelve months to the day, Munster travelled west, encountered the exact same weather conditions, the exact same confrontation and once again in front of a huge crowd emerged 3 point winners.
Last Monday, almost twelve months to the day, Munster travelled west and encountered the exact same weather conditions, the exact same confrontation and once again in front of a huge crowd emerged 3 point winners.
Last year the game took place in a packed to capacity Dubarry Park on a bitingly cold January 2nd evening. Ronan O’Gara’s penalty was enough to secure the points that noight.
This time around it was a miserably wet and windy Sportsground and with O’Gara back in his Cork home watching racing on RTE & Channel 4, it was Paul Burke who landed the all important penalty early in the first half.
The rain that had started to slant in long before the 2pm kick-off had both sets of players drenched before the kick off, ensuring a plethora of knock-ons. The near gale force wind just added to the misery for the players on the field.
So when both sets of combatants sprinted to the dressing rooms to take shelter at half time it was Michael Bradley’s troop who had to feel that a first victory over Munster since, it seems, Moses was a lad, was well within their grasp.
They trailed by three points but more importantly from a psychological point of view, they had withstood a Munster onslaught on their line in the minutes running up to the half time whistle. Not indeed that an eight point had Munster scored – deficit would have seemed too daunting with forty minutes to go and the elements at their backs.
And it s in that context that this Munster victory should be judged. Simply put, Connacht never seriously threatened the Munster line in that second half and their only opportunity of a score came from a long range Paul Warwick penalty.
On the few occasions they got a toehold in the Munster 22 their efforts were repelled by a pack that took their lead from Anthony Foley, Paul O Connell and Denis Leamy and to their enormous credit that pack ended the game pounding away at the Connacht line.
Three points were good enough for four and it keeps Munster in touch with leaders Neath-Swansea Ospreys and six clear of Leinster who visit Musgrave Park on New Year’s Day.
