Cork rugby fans bid farewell to Peter O'Mahony as Reds host Bennetton on Leeside

Munster’s final day URC clash with Benetton at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Friday is arguably of far more importance to the club than any potential quarter-final or semi-final that might be earned from winning it.

Of course, Munster want to win to gain a playoff berth in this campaign to give themselves a shot at regaining the title that slipped from their grasp at home to Glasgow in last year’s semi-final. 

Of more significance is the Champions Cup qualification that would be achieved for next year in terms of finance, reputation and momentum should Munster emerge victorious in this tie.

Clayton McMillan takes over as head coach next year and it would be a blow for the New Zealander if he was to take the helm with the club out of the primary competition in European club rugby.

The good news is that Munster’s fate is entirely in their own hands, following their 38-20 bonus point victory over Ulster at Thomond Park last week. 

Munster go into this on the precipice in eighth spot in the table, but Benetton are on the same points total just above them in seventh, so a victory will ensure that Munster finish ahead of their Italian opponents. 

This means that even if Cardiff win away at the Stormers, to pass out Munster, just before kick-off in Cork, they will still have control of their destiny.

Benetton is no gimme for Munster, however, as they have won four of their last five URC games to earn their spot above Munster in the table. Edinburgh, Cardiff, the Lions, and Glasgow have all been seen off, with last week’s 33-7 win at home to league champions Glasgow certainly catching the eye.

On the other hand, Munster’s win last weekend against Ulster prevented a fourth competitive defeat in a row for Ian Costello’s side, so any confidence gained from that triumph is at best brittle.

FELL APART

A lot of attention will once again focus around Munster’s lineout as it has been dreadful ever since the brilliant Champions Cup victory in La Rochelle.  It fell apart the week after in the quarter-final in Bordeaux and it has malfunctioned badly ever since. 

Munster cannot expect their season to last much longer if they do not sort that issue, or at least put a sufficient plaster over it for the time being.

On the injury front Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron and Oli Jager are absent, so the arrivals of Michael Milne and Lee Barron to bolster the front-row resources could not have been better timed.

The rest of the squad is as healthy as it has been all season, with second-row Edwin Edogbo available again, although he is expected to get his first run out in eighteen months in the A game on Friday against Connacht instead.

Last week saw Limerick bid farewell to Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer in style. 

A full house in Cork on Friday will be eager to do likewise.