Belief & Hard Work Does It For Munster

“How do Munster do it?” they asked Mick O’Driscoll at the post match press gathering in the Cardiff City Stadium last night. “How do you manage to win games like tonight with so little possession?”

At first O'Driscoll looked bemused, gave a little chuckle, then. “I don't know really,” was the response and understandably so given he had scarcely had time to catch his breath since contributing so handsomely to the mystery surrounding his side's ability to eek out a victory even though Munster hadn't managed to get within 20 metres of the Blues line all night.

“I dunno lads” he said again reflectively. Then. “It's about belief. It's about hard work. I don't mean to be cocky or arrogant.”

“Because we're not a cocky side. We're not an arrogant side. We believe in ourselves, we believe in our coaches.”

“Remember we've being coming here and getting beaten. I mean we won tonight, it was close, and we won last year. But before that I think it was 2005 the last time we won in Cardiff?”

“We knew we wouldn't be coming here and scoring four tries. We knew we had to make the most of whatever possession they'd give us. They're a good side. They didn't give us a lot of ball.”

“Of course having Keats there to kick the penalties obviously was massive.”

“Then there was our defence. I think each player made 15/20 tackles. That's phenomenal. It's hard work. But that's what we are, hard workers and that's what got us the result tonight.”

“Ok we probably copped a bit of luck at the end with that forward pass but maybe that was down to pressure?  But look, this is never an easy place to come to get a result. We set at target for ourselves and I'd have to be very happy with our efforts.”