Coach & Captain Preview Tigers Test

We chat with Head Coach Anthony Foley and captain CJ Stander in previewing this weekend’s Champions Cup Round 3 encounter as Munster welcome old rival Leicester Tigers to Thomond Park for the first time in almost nine years.

Leicester travel to Limerick having lost their last five away games to Irish provinces, scoring more than 10 points on just one occasion. However a rich vein of form this season has seen them take a commanding lead in Pool 4 of the Champions Cup with consecutive bonus point wins over French Top 14 champions Stade Francais and Benetton Treviso. In fact, Leicester have averaged the most points (34.5) and tries (4.5) per game in the Champions Cup this season and are the only side to pick up the maximum 10 points.

Tigers have proven themselves as a formidable side on the domestic front also, winning five from six in the Aviva Premiership and currently sitting third on the league table.

After four European encounters both Munster and Leicester hold two wins a piece, but it was the Englishmen who became the first travelling side to win at Thomond Park in the Heineken Cup, doing so in Round 6 of the 2006/07 season. Since then, Munster fans have witnessed just one further European defeat in Limerick and that was in the corresponding fixture last season when Clermont Auvergne became the first French side to win at Thomond Park.

Munster’s incredible home support through the seasons has undoubtedly played a part in such an impressive winning record and this weekend Thomond Park will welcome its one millionth European Cup supporter through the turnstiles having hosted 48 pool games and 7 knock-out games since the competition’s inception.

Munster currently have the second-best tackle success in the Champions Cup (91%) after making 53 out of 58 tackles in their Round 1 victory over Benetton Treviso with Ian Keatley holding the second best success rate for shots at goal on 83%, just behind Ruaridh Jackson of Wasps on 90%.

The men in red will hope to maintain a good disciplinary record that’s seen them conceded just five penalties in the competition, the lowest average per game of any club in this year’s tournament, while Anthony Foley’s men will also keep a watchful eye on Leicester’s Brendan O’Connor, one of the competition’s leading poachers at the breakdown.

CJ Stander and Anthony Foley met with media during the week and discussed Munster’s need to refocus following two consecutive PRO12 defeats to Connacht and Dragons.

Stander said, “Two losses in a row, and two matches we could have won. We made mistakes, we know what we did wrong. We looked back and looked at what we need to fix. When your back is against the wall there is nowhere else to go except forward. The boys are ready for this week. This is Champions Cup rugby and we are focusing on Leicester now. In the back of your head, you have the two losses on the trot, but we know what we need to fix.

“Leicester are playing good rugby, and in fairness to them they are playing winning rugby. Their spirits are high and it’s going to be a tough match-up this weekend.

Foley added, “You’re playing Cup rugby now. This is the fixture we lost to Clermont Auvergne at home last year – that’s fresh in the memory. When we got to the end of the group stages, it was the one that cost us getting out of our group. It’s important that we focus in on the task in hand, make sure we get our performance right, and make sure we are disciplined. We need to make sure we are physical around Leicester because they are going to be physical around us. Even watching the Worcester game at the weekend – they took Worcester on up front and grinded them. When you are playing in the early days of December, it’s not going to be the best of conditions, so it could be an attritional game – it could be an attritional fortnight for both sides. It’s important that we are prepared for that.”

Munster v Leicester Tigers, European Champions Cup, Saturday December 12th at Thomond Park – KO 7.45pm.

Tickets:

• Adults from €;20
• Families from €;60
• Student from €;10

Purchase tickets online here, from the Munster Rugby Ticket Office at Thomond Park and Irish Independent Park, or by calling 0818 719 300.

Tickets for these games can also be purchased as part of a Three Match Pack. Choose any three home games of your choice from the Champions Cup and/or Guinness PRO12. Match Packs start from just €;45 and also save you 10% across the cost of all three tickets. Click here to build yours.

Leicester Tigers Train Service

Outward journey
Those travelling from Kent Station, Cork can choose from a wide variety of departure times. The first two trains depart at 7am and 8am after which trains will depart at 20 past the hour, every hour.

Return journey
A specially commissioned train service will depart Limerick train station following the game at 10:30pm.

For more information and to book please click here.