Dragons v Munster: RODNEY PARADE is the perfect environment to breathe life into Munster during these off-peak weeks. Newport is not exactly a holiday destination. Anyway, they got the warm weather experience under their belts in Lanzarote recently.
They should be all the better for it tonight with Ronan O’Gara and Tony Buckley making the difficult step down from the highs of Twickenham.
Both men played crucial late cameos against England to perfection; O’Gara calming matters with a booming touch-finder and even flying into a few hectic end-game rucks. Buckley was a surprise selection ahead of Ulster’s Tom Court, due to a perceived chronic weakness at scrum-time, but he held up his end of the bargain in the last attacking English five-metre scrum. The big man crashed into a few rucks himself.
O’Gara’s return for some valuable game time is actually to the detriment of Scott Deasy who made a try-scoring statement when replacing the injured Paul Warwick in the 19-12 defeat of Edinburgh on February 19th that put Munster into the fourth play-off spot.
Warwick is fit and is named at fullback but winger Ian Dowling is out with an ankle injury and Niall Ronan’s enforced absence gives Tommy O’Donnell a chance at openside wing forward.
O’Donnell, along with converted lock Billy Holland, represent potential future mainstays in the Munster pack on show this evening, while the promising Ian Nagle provides secondrow cover. O’Donnell wins his 10th cap in a backrow alongside James Coughlan and fellow Clanwilliam man Alan Quinlan, who has made 188 appearances in red.
“Our away form hasn’t been good and that’s something we’re very aware of and looking to correct but, saying that, Rodney Parade is never an easy place to go to get a result,” said Quinlan. “Dragons have improved immensely from when we played them, they’ve beaten Leinster here and last time out they drew in Ravenhill. That makes them a very good side.
“I’ve no doubt they’ll be up for this one big-time so we can expect nothing less than a game of huge intensity that will go right down to the wire.”
Just the way Munster like it.
With the frontliners in Six Nations camp, there is an ideal balance of experience with Marcus Horan continuing his rehabilitation, while the foreign three quarter contingent – Doug Howlett, Jean De Villiers, Lifeimi Mafi, etc – rub shoulders with the next generation. Deasy’s Cork Constitution halfback partner Duncan Williams will be keen to relieve Peter Stringer at some point.
Former All Black hooker Tom Willis leads the Dragons with Luke Charteris back from Welsh duty and intent on ruining the Munster lineout.
If the 6ft 9½in lock can disrupt the positive thoughts of Denis Fogarty, or later Damien Varley, then it could be a long night but, that aside, Munster have enough about them to allow O’Gara steer the ship home like only he can.
Jonathan Sexton missed out on the first two Six Nations matches before an all-encompassing display against the Scarlets saw him back in the number 10 jersey against England. Over to O’Gara for something to stoke the debate again.
DRAGONS: M Thomas; W Harries, M Watkins, A Smith, A Brew, J Tovey, W Evans; H Gustafson, T Willis (capt), B Castle; A Jones, L Charteris; D Lydiate, G Thomas, L Evans. Replacements: S Jones, P Palmer, R Sidoli, H Macdonald, T Riley, J Arlidge, J Leadbeater.
MUNSTER: P Warwick; D Howlett, L Mafi, J de Villiers, D Hurley; R O’Gara (capt), P Stringer; M Horan, D Fogarty, T Buckley; M O’Driscoll, B Holland; A Quinlan, T O’Donnell, J Coughlan. Replacements: D Varley, J Brugnaut, I Nagle, N Williams, D Williams, S Deasy, C OBoyle.
Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU).
Top try scorer – Dragons: A Brew 4. Munster: N Williams 4. Top points scorer – Dragons: J Arlidge 62. Munster: J Manning 30.
Verdict: Away win.
