Munster are languishing by their standards - the 2023 Vodacom URC winners find themselves currently ninth on the log heading into Saturday night’s last game before the November international break against the Hollywoodbets Sharks at Thomond Park in Limerick.
They have only one win in four starts, and blew a 13-0 lead against Leinster in Dublin at the weekend on their way to eventually succumbing 24-18. But that’s one reason for the Sharks to be on red alert as they head into their last game of what so far has been a highly successful three match tour which has featured an excellent EPCR Challenge Cup win over Lyon and another against Cardiff in the URC.
If there is one thing Munster hate more than anything else it is losing to their arch derby rivals Leinster, and they will be hurting this week. For they were on the money for much of the initial part of the game and looked to be on line for what would have been an unexpected victory - only to let it slip.
The Sharks know that Munster are a better team than their log position might indicate, and will not be unaware that the last time a South African team visited Limerick it was the formidable Vodacom Bulls on 3 October - and they lost 26-22.
That was in fact the only Munster win of the URC season, but their last home game was a good 33-25 win over the French club, Racing 92, less than two weeks ago. That win coupled with their competitiveness against the Ireland international-laden Leinster team is indicative of a team that may be on the rise.
“I think (their ability) is pretty evident in the way they played,” said the Sharks’ Springbok wing Ethan Hooker in an online press conference.
“They love having the ball in their hands. They love multiple phases, playing, trying to stretch you, get around you, and they are a quality team. They’ve only won one game, but any team would be a fool to go into this game and underestimate them, especially at home and particularly with their crowd and the passion of the Irish fans. For us, this is one of our biggest games.”
POOR RECORD IN LIMERICK FOR SA TEAMS
It is indeed. If the Sharks can follow up their wins over Lyon and Cardiff with one at Thomond Park they would emphatically have completed the statement that needed to be made when they left Durban for overseas off the back of being well beaten by the Stormers in Cape Town on 10 October.
As Hooker says, it won’t be easy, and South African teams generally don’t have a good record in Limerick. However, one game the Sharks can take heart from was the Stormers’ come from behind win there 11 months ago.
On a night where Munster were set up to take Irish revenge on South African rugby after the Ireland scrum was bullied by the Springboks in an international game in Dublin the previous week, the Stormers were under the cosh early before taking complete physical control later on.
The Sharks will be looking to apply a similar recipe, and key to that is the 31-year-old Springbok tighthead Thomas du Toit, who played for Munster for a while nearly a decade ago.
“Munster are based in a proud city and are a proud rugby club with an unbelievable history,” said Du Toit.
“I’ve played here for Munster so I understand what it is all about. They live and breathe Munster, and that lifts the players.”
LIVING AND BREATHING THE SHARKS
The Sharks are busy trying to get Durbanites to start “living and breathing” the Sharks again, and so far that is working out for them, with tickets apparently selling well for what the Sharks have called “The Big Three”, meaning the festive season derbies against the Stormers on 5 December, the Bulls two weeks later and then the Lions at the beginning of January.
While the Sharks took a backward step in their scrum performance against the Stormers three weeks ago, Du Toit believes that was part of a process.
“With the scrum, it always has to start from zero at the beginning of the season,” said the World Cup winning Springbok who is back in Durban after a few seasons where he was impressive for the English club, Bath.
“I’ve played with Ox (Nche), I haven’t really played with any of the hookers that we’ve got here at the moment. It doesn’t matter how many training sessions you do, time in the saddle is what is needed. I’m excited to play alongside each member of the pack.”
Starting at zero appears to be the Sharks’ theme going into this final game of their tour.
“There’s a lot of confidence but everyone is trying to get back to the normality of ‘you have to start from zero again’.”