For Munster, tomorrow night's meeting with Edinburgh constitutes the point of no return in an increasingly troubled season. With their very European Champions Cup place on the line in Musgrave Park, this game will test their nerve perhaps unlike no other in this campaign, and they know it.
Never mind the potential loss of €500,000-plus in gate receipts for being consigned to the Challenge Cup, the damage to the morale of the squad and the entire organisation would linger for at least the whole of next season.
That Edinburgh have inched above them, if only on points difference, into the last of the top-six qualification places for the Champions Cup will either spur them or unnerve them.
“They have what we want so we need to go out with that mentality that at the moment they’re the ones that are ahead of us and we have to go out and attack them,” says Tommy O’Donnell, now one of the team’s key leadership figures.
“Obviously in the last couple of weeks, we have played quite well, albeit in fits and starts.
Little errors
“We have had both Connacht and Leinster in trouble for a while but we just weren’t consistent enough throughout the game. Without one or two little errors and a bit more game management, we could be sitting a lot better and we could be playing a lot better rugby.”
Tomorrow’s penultimate league game has been looming larger on Munster’s diminishing horizon, all the more so after the events of the past few weeks, and O’Donnell and co are under no illusions about the challenge Edinburgh pose.
“They’re a very tough side to play against. They’ve been building the ethos of how they want to play for the last two years. You can see it developing. From one to eight, they are all very good ball-carriers. Then the backs can punch in midfield and when they re-load they have a good few threats. So it is going to be a tough, down-to-the-wire game. We are going to need all 23 men.”
Although Munster are well acquainted with high-stakes games, this is a new kind of pressure. “We have played in high- pressure games before and there may be one or two faces less,” he says. “But there is a lot of experience in this team and we need to have the confidence from when we have produced on big days. There are probably not trophies and high places at stake but it is the same game, it’s the same players and we need to back each other and keep playing to the end.”
Freedom to attack
And as O’Donnell also admits, they cannot let the pressure inhibit them, or come away from this game regretting they didn’t play with some freedom.
“Exactly. Having that freedom to go out and attack and have that mentality, that Edinburgh have what we want. So we need to attack them and don’t sit back to let them attack us and let their big ball-carriers come at us. Let us be the ones hopefully going on the attack.”
In their hours of need, with the Scarlets to come at Thomond Park on Saturday week, these games will also be a test of Munster’s support. The Edinburgh match constitutes only their second game in Musgrave Park since the mid-October win over the Cardiff Blues, and their first since the Valentine’s Day defeat to the Ospreys.
As of yesterday, there were only 500 tickets still to be sold for the attendance to reach its new 8,200 capacity. “There’s so much there to play for,” says O’Donnell.
“It’s a crunch game. Sometimes when you play a team lower down the table, they might not come out. But because Europe is on the line, because the stakes are so high, in effect it’s like being in a group stage of a European Cup.
On the line
“That much is on the line. That’s one reason to come out. Obviously there are two home games so even though it hasn’t been the best of seasons it would be great to finish on a high with two wins to qualify for Europe again.
“Musgrave is a great pitch and it allows a great brand of rugby to be played. With the new stands and shed, it allows for a great atmosphere and you can feel it coming out to the field.
“It’s just built for a good atmosphere if the crowd can come out and get behind us, then if we can do our job, do what’s needed, whatever it takes, take penalties when they’re on, score tries when they come, whatever is needed. Fans respect that when they see you do what’s needed, that you’ve done whatever it takes.
“Home advantage is still pretty big. You saw with Connacht how the crowd started to help them when they started rolling, So hopefully if we’re at a stage where we get rolling, the crowd can get behind us and be able to give the same kind of voice.”
