Confirmation yesterday that Thomond Park would not be playable for its putative re-opening on the 20th anniversary of Munster's win over the All-Blacks comes as a damaging blow to Irish and Munster rugby, to the ground's new owners, the IRFU, and not least to Munster's chances of beating Perpignan in their European Cup tie today.
Given the whispers and doubts within Limerick circles, the cynical would feel that the returfed pitch was never going to be ready for this encounter once there was even a drop of rain. Word of the decision came at 12.10 p.m., although with more rain forecast even the chances of Musgrave Park being playable are "in the lap of the Gods", according to a Munster source.
Aside from the embarrassment for the Union (and if they don't feel embarrassed, they should be) the late postponement has caused all sorts of logistical difficulties and, more pertinently, it must undermine Munster's chances of upsetting the unbeaten group favourites and overturning the 41-24 defeat at Perpignan. Aside from the reduction in support, from, say, 10,000 to 4,000, the Munster players had the fillip of knowing they have never lost a European Cup match in Thomond Park. By contrast, Munster's sole European defeat at home came against Cardiff in Musgrave Park last year, and even Declan Kidney, a Corkman, was disappointed yesterday.
"I'm very disappointed bearing in mind the whole occasion which had been attached to this game," he admitted. "I was brought up on that too (Munster's 12-0 win over the All Blacks 20 years ago today) and I am sorry we won't be playing there."
Munster needed every leg-up they could get for this assignment, bearing in mind that Perpignan blitzed them in the original meeting after leading 29-3 at half-time.
Perpignan have picked a full-strength side containing six internationals and Kidney said that Perpignan are unquestionably the best side Munster have faced in his two years at the helm.
"They're much more of a team that Harlequins or Cardiff. They're very physical up front and very good in the backs," said Kidney.
Munster will field the same team that couldn't stand the heat three weeks ago, save for the presence of Rhys Ellison at inside centre. Against that, the Kiwi centre, Peter Clohessy, Mick Galwey, Anthony Foley and Alan Quinlan have been improving with every match, while the Peter Stringer-Barry Everitt halfback combination is adding more arrows to the Munster quiver.
With some overdue help from a hitherto soporific Cork public, Munster may well just have it in them to pull off another famous Munster win, although you can't help but feel that Thomond Park, on the day that was in it, would have been worth at least a score or two to them.
