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Foley Taking It Game by Game

16th April 2015 By Munster Rugby

Foley Taking It Game by Game

Head Coach Anthony Foley spoke with journalists at a media briefing for the Guinness PRO12 final in Belfast yesterday. The final takes place at Ulster’s Kingspan Stadium on May 30th.

With Munster currently second on the PRO12 table, Foley played down any talk of a home semi-final, instead insisting that his side must first cross a top-four finish off their checklist.

"There is pressure on us every year. Whether it be in the Guinness PRO12, Europe or any other cup, that expectation is around Munster.

"It's something you embrace when you come into the club but our mindset at the moment has to be a game at a time – last week we achieved top six, now we'll go on to try and secure top four and see where we are after that."

Munster play Benetton Treviso at home, then Ulster away before the Dragons at home, with the Head Coach wary of each encounter.

“Treviso are coming over to us playing for qualification to Europe, I look at Ulster up here and view that as a very tough fixture and I see the Dragons who could become Challenge Cup champions. We've got three quality sides left in the competition, everyone's got something to play for, and it's important we look at it as one game at a time rather than three to go. The Dragons have beaten Leinster twice this year, you take your hat off to a side like that and you have a lot of respect for a side like that.

“I want to get top four out of the way and that we have a semi-final. The pivotal moment of whether it'll be a top-two finish will be our second to last game here at Ulster. There's no point me worrying about that now, so the team's focus is on Treviso. We'll see what the results and permutations are as we go forward, but there's going to be one big side missing out.”

The former Munster and Ireland number 8 is happy with his team’s recent run of form that’s seen them secure back-to-back bonus point victories over Connacht at home and on the road to Edinburgh.

“We're not so much peaking, but a lot of the injuries we had in the early to middle part of our season have come back. There's so much competition in the side and when we train it is at a level of intensity now that forces players to prepare properly for training. Through that players are getting the benefit of the weekend, and standards have come up because they can't get away with it during the week.

“We're better than what we were at the start of the year. That happens naturally anyway, you evolve over the year and in a year's work you'd like to think it makes people better. You don't need to stand over things with players as much as you would have in October, and you want to make sure they're all turning up and remaining competitive. That competitiveness will manifest in the performance on the pitch.”

The Guinness PRO12 Final at the Kingspan Stadium, Belfast on Saturday May 30th is nearing sell out with just over 400 terrace tickets left for public sale. Each finalist will receive an allocation of 2,000 tickets.

Belfast will be wrapped up in Final Fever as plans were outlined to decorate the whole city. Belfast's hotels, restaurants & bars expect an influx of sports fans keen to see the many sights the city has to offer including the Titanic Quarter (and Game of Thrones set locations), City Hall and Queen's University while enjoying their visit.

The five teams currently contesting for play-off qualification finish out their regular league fixtures as follows:

  • Glasgow Warriors travel to Connacht and the Ospreys, finishing up with the arrival of Ulster at Scotstoun.
  • Munster play Benetton Treviso at Irish Independent Park, then Ulster away and the Dragons at home – also in Cork.
  • Ulster host Leinster and Munster before facing Glasgow away.
  • Ospreys play the Blues away, then are home to Glasgow and away to Connacht.
  • Leinster play Ulster away, then Benetton Treviso at home and Edinburgh away.

Munster v Benetton Treviso, Guinness PRO12 Round 20, Saturday April 25th at Irish Independent Park – KO 3.05pm.

Tickets from €;15 can be purchased online by clicking here, from the Munster Rugby Ticket Offices at Thomond Park or Irish Independent Park, or by calling 0818 719 300.

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