Munster One Step Away

Munster are just eighty minutes away from a place in the inaugural British & Cup semi-final. They play Heriots tonight in Musgrave Park (7.30pm) where victory will see them advance to the penultimate stage.

They actually only need a point from the game tonight to end up level with current leaders Bristol and thus advance, by virtue of their win over the English side in Nenagh RFC back in November. However, coach Anthony Foley has just one objective in mind this evening.

“There’s only only one thought in our heads going out this evening and that’s to win as we have done on each occasion this season. Our mindset doesn’t entertain the possibility of losing, that’s the way it has to be.”

And although Heriots have yet to register a win in the competition to date, Foley is confident that complacency will not be a factor. “Look, he says, “the fact is that if we look at the table we’re in second place and that gets us nowhere further. We know exactly what we have to do and hopefully we’ll have a good crowd there to help us do it.”

What has been a characteristic of Foley selections is consistency as he and Ian Costello have, by and large, remained loyal to the younger players who have spearheaded this and the Interprovincial campaign in which they are also unbeaten to date.

For tonight’s game however they introduce Richmond centre Mike Kelleher in place of the injured Tom Gleeson while Mike Sherry resumes in the front row having been forced out of the Neath game through illness and Billy Holland retains the number six jersey after coming on as replacement at The Gnoll.

If Munster go through, they will join Cornish Pirates, Doncaster Knights and either Ulster or London Welsh – most likely Ulster – in the late April semi-finals.

Munster: Danny Riordan (UL Bohs); Danny Barnes (Dolphin), Mike Kelleher (Richmond), Scott Deasy (Cork Con), Ciaran O’Boyle (Garryowen); Declan Cusack (Thomond), Duncan Williams (Cork Con); Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohs), Mike Sherry (Garryowen), Stephen Archer (Cork Con); Dave Foley (UL Bohs), Ian Nagle (Cork Con); Billy Holland (Cork Con), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Con) capt., Nick Williams (Dolphin). Replacements: Sean Henry (UL Bohs), Pa O’Regan (UL Bohs), Neville Melbourne (Clonmel), Ed Kelly (UL Bohs), Conor Murray (Garryowen), Jeremy Manning (Cork Con), Sean Scanlon (UCC).

Heriots: Colin Goudie; Jonny Alston, Peter Saunders, Richard Mill, Max Nimmo, Greig Rutherford, Graham Wilson capt;  Alan Dymock, Scott Burnett,  Wullie Blacklock;  Philip O’Connor, Chukwuma Osazuwa; Peter Eccles, Chris Fusaro, Jamie Syme. Replacements: Finlay Gillies, Cameron Bruce, John-Patrick Ward, Neil Meikle, Marc Teague, Andrew Douglas, Michael Goldie