David Corkery: Munster have no divine right to be competing with the best in Europe

Ah sure we’ll be grand... It’s the European Cup this week!

These are the exact words of a friend of mine who seems to think Munster have some kind of divine right to play well every time a European Cup game comes about. How wrong he is.

Yes, Munster and the European Cup have a very special bond, but that bond was earned the hard way and if people think that the brand that is European Cup rugby owes Munster a shoulder to cry on, they are sadly mistaken.

For some very strange reason, a small but vocal cohort of those who were lucky enough to be alive and kicking when Munster became kings of Europe still actually believe that the Munster of today can call on the exploits of the past to inspire greatness.

LEGACY

So big was the impact and legacy of the 2006 and 2008 squads, it still has the ability to hypnotise and trick the minds of many of Munster’s faithful.

I guess there is nothing wrong with praying for miracles. However, the reality of the situation is far removed from the wishful thinking of those who roared, sang, cried, and drank with those players who produced biblical performances when no one gave them a snowball’s chance in hell of doing well.

Not for one minute am I suggesting that those who are currently fortunate enough to get to wear the red of Munster don’t give their all every time they take to the pitch. 

The game today is so different to 20 years ago, it is virtually impossible to compare.

On top of this, the time to stop looking back for inspiration came and went a very long time ago and the only way that Munster will once again get to feast with the elite of Europe is either by breaking the bank or building from within. 

And I don’t think breaking the bank is a realistic option.

Apart from the shape of the ball almost every other aspect of the game of rugby union has either been eradicated, altered or changed completely. The modifications are far from over as World Rugby struggles to deal with the physicality and injuries that the modern player is suffering.

Size, power, speed, and experience are now the four qualities that any coach of the professional game will look to build their squads around and if you look at what Toulon and Munster will bring to Sunday’s third round of the Champions Cup, only a very loyal or brave Munster supporter would suggest that Munster will depart Stade Felix Mayol with anything else other than another long list of injuries.

Still reeling from the characterless loss against Ulster last weekend, Clayton McMillan will take much pleasure in welcoming back the province's internationals who were not available due to rest periods. The flip side of the coin is he lost the services of John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen, who both could be out for some time.

Tighthead prop Oli Jager, who has not played since October of last year due to concussion, will hopefully be cleared by the Munster medical team because in all of Munster’s losses this season, the scrum has been the one area that has let them down the most. 

A man of Jager’s bulk could well make a noticeable difference.

Munster’s line-out has also blown hot and cold and unless the Munster forwards can, at a very minimum, win their own throw-in and feed at the scrum, this game will very quickly become a foregone conclusion.

Last weekend, Toulon were completely annihilated by Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle in a French Top 14 league game 66-0.

This, you may think, is a good thing, but when you dig a bit further, you will see that Toulon basically played their entire second team and 10 academy players, including three who were making their senior debuts.

Former French international scrum-half and current coach of Toulon opted to sacrifice the La Rochelle game with a view to concentrating entirely on the arrival of Munster. McMillan is surely seriously worried about that.

REALISTIC GOAL

Where Toulon and Munster are placed, things are very tight with five of the six teams in the group currently on five points. Bath are sitting top of the table by a single point on six so as you can imagine every point earned or lost will be worth its weight in gold come the final weekend.

Do I believe in miracles? No, I don’t, but sport is something that can throw up the biggest of surprises.

A red card here and a few yellows there and a game that you thought was a foregone conclusion can very quickly be turned on its head.

For me, a losing bonus point and no long-term injuries would be a fantastic result on this occasion.