David Corkery on rugby: Munster must do whatever it takes to dig out a result

Isn’t it amazing what one win can do!

One minute, Munster were viewed as a team with no structure, no depth, no adaptable game plan and no luck with injuries. Just because they play well in a home game and grind out a solid win against a half-decent Saracens outfit, all is forgiven.

I guess this is a very good example of just how fickle sport can be. However, I can categorically tell you that nothing much has changed for the men in red since the start of the season and their journey back to the summit of rugby’s Everest is going to be just as daunting as it was before last week's victory.

Without wanting to take the shine off what Munster achieved against a strong Saracens side, I must remind folk that were it not for Liam Williams dropping the ball in the dying minutes with the try line at his mercy, Munster have lost and their list of troubling predicaments would have continued to compound.

Yes, a hard-fought win is always great for optimism, but what this Munster cohort need right now, and I include the management, is to start displaying a clear and precise graph that shows us that this squad are improving on a match-to-match basis. For me, this is something that is still miles away.

When it comes to the knock-out stages of any competition a side like Munster, who have blown hot and cold for well over a decade now, will always be lacking in confidence when it comes to competing against the bigger boys. 

For me, true confidence is only achieved when you can sit down in the days leading up to every game and smile at the challenge. 

In many ways, it borders on arrogancy, but all great players and teams must display some degree of arrogance in what they do and how they exhibit who they are.

If they don’t they will always fall into a category that screams ordinary and when the season-defining moments come calling the confident players will back themselves, whilst the average ones will look to curl up into a ball and look to someone else to make the bold and dangerous calls.

RESPECTED

Jack Crowley, who for me is still Ireland's first choice fly-half, has everything that is required to raise this Munster team from the ashes. He is still learning and making mistakes but has a presence about him that commands the respect of those with and against him on the field.

Crowley and Co will face Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens tomorrow, knowing a win guarantees them a knock-out place in the last 16 and a top seeding.

Whilst Northampton isn’t the worst place in the world to play rugby it is still a tough place to go as Munster know only too well by losing twice there in recent years.

Last weekend as Munster were battling away in Thomond Park, Northampton were entrenched in their own arm wrestle with Stade Francais in the French capital.

Traveling without 11 injured players and opting to rest the likes of Juarno Augustus and Fraser Dingwall. Northampton raced into a 21-point lead but eventually went on to lose 45-35.

Having won their domestic league last year The Saints are not the force of 12 months ago. 

They will have a few players back from the physio table and will not be resting anyone but are a very beatable side.

The English domestic league is a very pleasant competition to watch because it is full of running rugby and high-scoring games, but what it doesn’t cater for or promote is the type of rugby that Munster seem to be looking to implement. That's getting down and dirty and slogging it out until one side decides it is time to raise the white flag.

If Munster are going to win this game what they must do is mimic much of what they did last weekend by not allowing their hosts to implement their very impressive ability to keep the ball alive and moving forward at pace.

Unlike last week against Saracens, if Munster’s defence is even the slightest bit off they will be punished.

SCRAPS

If the scrum and line-out are not able to improve on the quality of ball it can deliver, what we will see is the Munster backs living off bits of scrappy possession thus forcing Crowley to kick far more often then he would like and this is exactly what Northampton would be hoping for.

What Northampton don’t want to happen is for them to get dragged down into the gutter and for the game to descend into a slogging competition, but if that’s what it takes then I’d be delighted to watch a 3-0 victory.

Munster won’t win this competition, but a good run would go a long way to building towards a brighter future.