Munster, European Specialists
Munster proved again this weekend that they truly are European Cup specialists with an emphatic win over another European powerhouse Toulouse in Thomond Park. The win at the weekend is up there with some of Munster‘s greatest. To do such a number on a team like Toulouse after an up and down season was one to saviour. Munster have only been beaten twice in Limerick in Europe by Leicester who almost created history themselves on Saturday by almost beating Clermont Auvergne for the first time in 75 games at the Stade Marcel Michlin.
Also Harlequins have beaten Munster in Limerick. But yet again Munster came up with the goods at home after being beaten a week earlier by Leinster in Dublin. They never seem to want to go the simple route to win this competition and will have to travel to France for the 2nd season in a row in a bid to win the Heineken Cup for a 3rd time before Europe’s top rugby competition is transformed into a new guise that will comprise of 20 teams in a new European Cup and also two other tiers with teams from emerging nations like Georgia, Spain and Portugal taking part.
Back to Munster and after nearly 15 years of following them through thick and thin they just keep producing the big performances for the big day. The amount of times I have asked how they keep doing it and time and again they just come back for more. They are twice winners of the competition in 2006 and 2008 and they have made the knock out phase of the competition on 16 occasions out of the last 17 tournaments a truly incredible feat. And also to be beaten only twice in 50 home matches in Europe in really special and of courses adds to Munster’s legend in this competition.
Munster now look forward to yet another Semi Final in this special competition against Toulon. Munster owe Toulon a performance after the defeat back in 2011 by 32-16. If I may be so bold as to reword that famous Munster motto “To The Brave and Faithful Anything Is Possible” And of course it now is if Munster deal with the Toulon power in the first 20 minutes then anything could happen and who knows what could then happen. As this team has so often proven over the years, write them off at your peril but don’t be surprised if this particular Munster side comes for the shadow of past teams and roars into a 5th final.
By
Cian Mc Gibney.
