Need To Bounce Back

Head Coach Anthony Foley and captain Peter O’Mahony reflect on a poor showing at Allianz Park on Saturday and discuss the need to bounce back with a performance against Sale Sharks at Thomond Park on Sunday.

In a Pool that featured three of last season’s Heineken Cup semi-finalists, qualification for the knock out stages of the inaugural Champions Cup would always prove a massive challenge – the competitiveness of the pool making home victories a minimum requirement for quarter final advancement.

With a hugely impressive Clermont Auvergne becoming the first French side to win at Thomond Park in European competition in round 3, and following the subsequent away defeat at the Stade Marcel Michelin, Munster headed to London requiring at least a win to keep their Champions Cup hopes alive.

However it was not to be for Munster on the day as Saracens proved too much – demonstrating the clinical form that has kept them unbeaten in all but one of their home ties at Allianz Park this season.

Saturday’s defeat saw Munster lose out on any chance of knock out qualification for only the second time in 17 years.

A disappointed Anthony Foley spoke with media after the game.

"It is not ideal to be in that situation – it’s not something that we had planned for. We came here to win the game and came here to put in a good performance. There’s a lot of character in that team and there’s a lot of good players and it’s unfortunate today that we played like that.

"Obviously with a result like that we don't get out of our group. We need to address a few things and make sure that we turn up next Sunday and put in a performance that is worthy of it."

While captain Peter O’Mahony also emphasised the need for a performance against Sale Sharks next weekend.

“We’ve got to bottle it up now and put in a performance next week. We’ve left our fans down who travelled, we’ve left our fans at home down, we’ve left our families down, we left ourselves down.

“We’ve got to have a good performance next week and the next few weeks in the Guinness PRO12. They’re non-negotiable, those performances.”

Munster will hope to right the wrongs of last weekend in front of a home crowd when they welcome Sale Sharks to Thomond Park in round 6 of the Champions Cup on Sunday.

Sale for their part will look to avenge a one point defeat in round 1 – thanks to a last minute Ian Keatley dropgoal – and with the likes of Danny Cipriani, Chris Cusiter and Magnus Lund amongst their fire power the Englishmen are capable of putting any side to the sword on their day.

Munster v Sale Sharks, European Champions Cup Round 6, Sunday January 25^th at Thomond Park – KO 3:15pm.

With over 21000 tickets now sold for this game, tickets are still available to purchase online by clicking here with prices starting from €;20 and Terrace Family Packs from €;60. Tickets can also be purchased at the Munster Rugby Ticket Offices at Irish Independent Park and Thomond Park or by calling 0818 719 300.

Meanwhile, Munster 'A' take on Doncaster Knights in the quarter final of the British & Irish Cup at Castle Park, Doncaster on Saturday – KO 2pm.

For live updates on Twitter follow @munsterrugby #BICup