PREVIEW: Munster V Connacht

03 March 2021

PREVIEW: Munster V Connacht
By John O'Sullivan

 

Forwards coach Jimmy Duffy says Connacht will need to be accurate in order to defeat Munster in Friday evening's 7:35 pm Guinness PRO14 clash at Thomond Park. 

 

Both teams are vying for first place in Conference B and subsequent final qualification with nine points separating Munster in first, 50 points, and Connacht in second, 41 points, meaning the game will likely have a big bearing on the final standings come the season's end.

 

Duffy insists that the Westerners are intent on winning the game, and maintains that accuracy -- in the set-piece, defence and attack -- will be the determining factor in the interprovincial derby.

 

"For us, it's about winning every moment," the former Connacht second row said of the strategy against their southern rivals.

 

"We're going to have to play for the whole 80 minutes, which we showed on the weekend(the victory over Benetton Rugby), which was good preparation. Obviously, Munster are flying it at the minute, so, for us, it's about staying in the fight for as long as we need to and capitalise on the opportunities when they arise.

 

"They are a quality side. There's a number of international players they have away with the Irish team at the moment, but what's remaining there will be another full international pack, with another five or six guys who have played international rugby in the backline. They have got really, really good players and they believe in themselves and they work really hard. They have a very strong set-piece, good attacking game, good kicking game.

 

"They've got threats all over the park, either in midfielder or the back three or upfront. Quality operators who have been around the game a long time, so for us it's just about matching that in all aspects and capitalising on the opportunities, as I said earlier."

 

Meanwhile, Duffy says that the players' confidence in their set-piece systems in the win over Benetton was pleasing to see as a forwards coach.

 

Turning down the opportunity to kick a penalty at goal and draw the game against the Italians, Connacht elected for the line out. The initial throw was turned over, but when the Westerners won another penalty they again kicked to the line. At the second time of asking, the rolling maul proved too powerful and Bundee Aki was the benefactor and touched down at the tail of the drive.

 

"We trusted the lads to make the right call," the forward's coach said of the final minutes away in Italy.

 

"We knew we had to ride a massive amount of weight that they would be throwing at us, Treviso hit that front side of the maul extremely hard. If you're patient and just manage to slow it down, then you can actually create an opportunity.

 

"For me, it was very pleasing on the weekend that they went back and backed the system and got that opportunity, created it and scored, which was fantastic. It's a huge part of the game and there's a hairs breadth from being successful and not successful, but it was really, really pleasing. Oisin Dowling was the man who called that option, which is great and it was lovely to see him involved."

 

Elsewhere, full-back Tiernan O'Halloran says that Connacht will have to impose their game-plan on Munster and not just look to contain the Thomond Park side.

 

The Irish international is confident that the squad trusts their strategy and will look to play the style that suits their strengths and that will lead to a win.

 

The initial meeting between the teams ended with a narrow, 10-16, win for the southern province and O'Halloran says that the Westerners recent away record -- Connacht broke a club record for consecutive away leagues with five wins in a row after beating Benetton -- gives them confidence that they can go to Limerick and return with a win.

 

"We're not in any way going to go down there and try to shut up shop for 80 minutes and try to force mistakes from them," the Clifden native said.

 

"We're fully going down to win the game as well. I think if you look at everything since the pandemic happened with away records, and we have won five on the row on the road, and I think you have to factor in that the atmosphere usually at Thomond Park creates a lot of pressure. Any little mistakes and the crowd will feed off that. That in itself releases a slight bit of pressure as well and opens up the game a bit more and you can see teams are winning away from home much easier.

 

"Not in any way are we going down there to shut up shop, we're happy to trust our game plan and trust what we can do. We have got our Irish lads released this week as well, so we will be fully stocked and loaded."