POOL ONE MUNSTER v CASTRESMUNSTER COACH Tony McGahan said they expect a fiery challenge from Castres on Saturday and that any talk of bonus points has been banished.
Castres are out of contention after three pool defeats and their Top 14 campaign, which has been inconsistent, is their main priority at this stage. Victory on Saturday should be enough to nail down a place in the quarter-finals for Munster, having missed out last year for the first time in 13 seasons. However, while a win might be enough, a bonus-point win would confirm their qualification.
“I can tell you that word is not used down here,” said McGahan in relation to a bonus point. “It is not in the slightest. I don’t think we are even in a position to think about bonus points. We haven’t looked like getting them; we certainly have been there but we’ll just grind away and find a way to get the job done.
“Anyone who turns up at Thomond Park, regardless of who they’re bringing and who their big names are, we’re in for a hell of a game because everyone enjoys coming to Thomond Park and they see the history and they see the opportunity presenting itself to do something special.”
McGahan said the injection of new talent has given his side a greater edge as they bid for European glory. And while youngsters such as Conor Murray, Simon Zebo, Peter O’Mahony and Danny Barnes are an inspiration, McGahan has paid tribute to two late developers who have made a big impact.
James Coughlan, who was 31 last month, and Niall Ronan, who will be 30 next September, have become major figures for Munster as McGahan sees them through a transition period, with both of them now just a handful of caps away from a century of appearances.
Coughlan, who was man of the match last weekend against Treviso, only came on the scene when he helped his club Dolphin win promotion to Division One of the All-Ireland League in 2006.
Now the Cork man, who skippered Munster against Australia just over a year ago, is just 13 appearances shy of his 100th cap for the province and was named as Munster player of the year last season.
“To get there and force your way into the starting side in an international forward pack is a great story for anyone to be part of, but especially for James,” said McGahan
McGahan also praised the impact of Ronan who has thrived since moving from Leinster. “With Niall, he has been a guy who has lacked opportunities in the big end games. He has played against Australia and New Zealand and a few Celtic League games but he has been on the bench for a lot of Heineken Cup games, but having someone like David Wallace in front of him is always difficult, who will go down as one of Munster and Ireland’s best back-rowers.”
Ronan is included in the squad for Saturday’s game as he is expected to recover from a knee injury. McGahan said that Felix Jones is targeting being back for the Aironi game in five weeks, with Wallace looking good for March.
MUNSTER SQUAD:M Horan, J Ryan W Du Preez, S Archer, BJ Botha, D Varley, D Fogarty, D O'Callaghan, D Ryan, P O'Connell, I Nagle, M O'Driscoll, P O'Mahony, B Holland, N Ronan, J Coughlan, T O'Leary, C Murray, D Williams, R O'Gara, I Keatley, Danny Barnes, S Zebo, W Chambers, L Mafi, K Earls, J Murphy, D Hurley.
