Leinster's season is over but for Munster, Ulster and Connacht, season-defining games await. Ulster will be restored to something like full-strength for a return trip to Glasgow in Friday's first Guinness Pro12 semi-final (kick-off 7.45) following Saturday's defeat there, while Munster expect to welcome back Peter O'Mahony and Simon Zebo for Saturday's second semi-final in Thomond Park (2.30).
Connacht will return to David Humphreys' Gloucester, where they lost a titanic European Challenge Cup semi-final in early April, for what amounts to a semi-final in the play-off route to next season's European Challenge Cup. The winners will be at home to the seventh-placed finishers in the Top 14, which as things stand would be Raving Metro, with Johnny Sexton, Ronan O'Gara et al.
Pending the last round of regular season Top 14 matches next Saturday, the winners at Kingsholm next Sunday will more likely face Bordeaux-Bègles or Oyonnax.
While not the financial windfall a home European tie would be, Saturday’s semi-final will earn Munster an estimated and welcome €100,000, mostly for use of the ground. But they are now better placed to reach Saturday week’s Pro12 final than Ulster, even if they have lost twice to the Ospreys, whereas Ulster at least won their home match with Glasgow 29-8 last October.
Take advantage
“We’re there now and while we’re at it we might as well take advantage of it. It’s not the end-all-and-be-all,” maintained Foley. No away side has ever won a semi-final. “Some team is going to lose a home semi so it’s important to us that a team that has beaten us twice this year don’t make it three,” Foley added.
Ultimately, Munster were a little indebted to Connacht for securing a home semi-final by keeping the Ospreys scoreless from the 28th minute, by which stage the Welsh team had scored three tries to lead 24-0 and looked well set for a bonus-point win.
Connacht’s comeback fell short, as they lost 24-20, but they in turn owed a small debt of gratitude to Leinster, whose 36-23 win away to Edinburgh ensured the Scots stayed below Connacht as well as ensuring Leinster finished fifth. It was only Leinster’s fourth away win of the season in 15 games, the others having come against Zebre, Castres and Cardiff.
Grateful that Connacht stayed in there fighting to the end, Foley added: “They know Kingsholm, they’ve been there before so they won’t be daunted by it and you never know, they could turn them over.”
Had Ulster’s second-half collapse been combined with a bonus-point win for the Ospreys, it would have meant both they and Munster would have been away next weekend. That mightn’t have gone too well with the Munster moneymen, coaches, playing staff or fans.
Vindicated Then again, Ulster’s decision to start only three of a notional first-choice XV
was in a sense vindicated, for even if they had won in Glasgow, Ulster would have ended up travelling to the Ospreys for next weekend’s semi-finals.
Yet their results have dipped over the last two weekends, whereas Munster go into the play-offs with just one defeat in 10 league games.
“We’ve also guys who are hitting form as well and the injuries are clearing up and hopefully we’ll get another few back next week,” said Foley.
O’Mahony picked up a hip injury in training last Tuesday which was “restricting him from jumping and powering, but hopefully it’ll clear up.”
Reflecting on the plentiful history between Munster and the Ospreys, Foley smiled.
“Yeah we’ve come across them in the past,” he said. “They’re a proud team and a proud region. We have our goals for the year as well and hopefully we can get one over them, but it will be a tough contest.
“We’ll need to get our work done off the pitch and keep the players fresh and ready to play.
“But the boys are looking forward to playing in Thomond Park.”
It is only Munster’s second game at Thomond Park since the European 65-10 win over Sale in January, which should intensify next Saturday’s sense of occasion.
“It’s a rare visit at this time of the year but I think we’re hoping the people of Limerick and the north Munster region will come out and support us and make sure we’re well supported,” said Foley, who highlighted the squad’s hard work since their disappointing Euro exit.
Appreciate
“I think we’ve gone about our job to try to make sure we’ve something to celebrate at the end of the year and hopefully we can get something. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work and we’d appreciate the help of Thomond Park.”
It’s worth noting that not only is a league title at stake over the next two weekends, but also seedings for the draw for the pool stages of next season’s European Champions Cup. Recall how last season’s winners, Leinster, had an automatic top seeding and with it drew a group containing Castres, Harlequins and Wasps, which they won.
By dint of losing a semi-final away to Glasgow, Munster ended up being third seeds in the group of death. The season may be over for some, but the biggest games of the season remain for others.
