David Corkery on rugby: Munster and Connacht are now 'minnows' battling to save their season
Munster were dealt a blow with the news that Jack Crowley isn't fit to face Connacht. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Viewed now by many as the minnows of Irish rugby, Connacht and Munster lock horns on Saturday evening to see if they can salvage something from a season to forget.
Yes, there is still silverware to be hunted but at a time when the strong only seem to be getting stronger, I don’t think anyone expects Munster or Connacht to be organising a victory dinner in a few months.
In a rugby world that is now dominated by headlines of catastrophic injury inventories, financial woes and inconsistent refereeing decisions, this is a turbulent time for the sport. If those who make the decisions don’t get the balance between entertainment, player safety and making a profit just right, the game will soon find itself trapped in a vortex of extinction.
With only two games remaining in the regular United Rugby Championship season, all four provinces are still looking to confirm their places in the knockout stages.
Both Leinster and Ulster might be focusing their efforts on bigger prizes in three weeks when they head to the San Mamés Stadium in the Basque region of sunny Spain to see who will be crowned kings of Europe. For Munster and Connacht, all they have left to fight for is a URC quarter-final.
Even though the URC is very much viewed as the poor relation to the European Champions Cup, it is imperative to finish in the top eight to secure their berth for next season.
For Connacht, who are in ninth spot, you would have to think that this game is very much a do-or-die scenario.
On 44 points and positioned one place behind Ulster on 47, should Stuart Lancaster and his players lose tomorrow here, it's highly likely they will once again be participating in the European Challenge Cup, or as I like to call it, the B section.
Munster are in a slightly better spot in fifth position, on 51 points. However, their final game is against the high-flying South African Lions, who are currently third. Like Connacht, they will be throwing everything they have left in the bag at this game.
With both sides reporting extensive injury lists, it seems that this game might be determined by the strength of their squads.
For the men from the west, Caolin Blade and Dave Heffernan were deemed doubtful. Denis Buckley, Cathal Forde, Matthew Victory, Temi Lasisi, Oisin Dowling, Oisin McCormack, Byron Ralston, Mack Hansen, Finn Treacy were all ruled out.
However, the news that New Zealand-born fly-half Josh Ioane has completed his return to play protocols after his head injury and is available is a boost.
Tadhg Beirne, Tom Farrell, Oli Jager, Jean Kleyn and Calvin Nash are all out after Munster's uncompromising encounter against Ulster two weeks ago, but just like Connacht, the man who wears the number 10 jersey is available.
Jack Crowley who was withdrawn after he received a knock during the warm-up against Ulster, was due back but didn't pass a fitness test in the build-up. That's a real blow.
Apart from the horrid and very worrying injuries picked up, Munster’s last two games against Benetton and Ulster have worked out well for them on the scoreboard.
Averaging 43 points in these two games is no mean feat and this is the mind-set the players must take with them again.
Traditionally, Connacht are a team who if you invite them down a dark alley to a bare-knuckle fight will accept and more often than not return victorious.
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