Johnny Wattersontalks to Marcus Horan on his reaction to winning a second Heineken Cup medal
WHEN REFEREE Nigel Owens pointed his finger at the closed roof of the Millennium Stadium and blew his whistle, Marcus Horan ran across the pitch punching the air, exhorting the crowd to somehow scream even louder.
He was asking a lot. As the lights dimmed and the fireworks exploded, the Irish prop's celebrations became part of the biggest garage party of the year. Noisy, raucous, lots of physical action and lads pouring drink over each other. Horan's reaction was unbridled, extroverted and unlike him or Munster.
"It was unbelievable. I think I got a bit too emotional," said the prop. "It's been a tough season for me personally. I suppose the emotion got to me a small bit. But I really enjoyed it. It was a great buzz and the effort the crowd make to come here is phenomenal. It doesn't go unnoticed by any of the players."
Once again the Munster loose-head was being severe on himself. Saturday's game was tailor-made for Horan, who also likes to get the ball in his hands and punch yards.
After going off for Tony Buckley, Horan made a return to the pitch and the last 10 minutes of Munster grinding the life out of Toulouse was what his quick legs and low centre of gravity was designed to do. That is where Horan is most content.
"We were disappointed with the first-half performance to be honest," he says. "They came at us. As a pack we had loads in the tank. Leading up to our try we felt we were turning the screw on them there. We just didn't capitalise on that after half-time and they got their try - a typical French try - and we had to dig deep.
"Paul was going on about going to the well and getting it out of the reserves and we did. It was there in the tank for us and we came back at it. I think that killed them off as much as it helped us.
"I felt fresh after doing those pick and jam phases and I'm sure they were knackered from doing all the tackling. The pick and jam was good.
"It's a pity we didn't get more out of it but it soaked up the pressure and the clock was ticking down. Pity we didn't get the score out of it at the end. So it was an important part of the game and probably the part that won it for us."
Not only was Horan first across the pitch and in the faces of the supporters but once again he was first on the podium to receive his winners medal. Two years ago after beating Biarritz being the number one on the team also had its benefits and Horan was first up that time too.
"Yes, I was the first up to get the medal in 2006 as well. That's so as I can say to the boys I was the first one to get a European medal," he says. "To win today was important. It can't beat the first time, I suppose, but it was important for us to come back and win it again. I never wanted it to be a once off so we kind of proved that today. It was fantastic, a tough game very physical, tough up front but I think we did enough to win."
The scrum was sound and if anything got to Horan before the game it was critics sniping at the state of the scrum.
"It kind of angered us coming into the game. People were saying that the scrum was an area that Toulouse could attack," said Horan.
"We did a job on the Clermont scrum. We did a job on the Wasps scrum. We're happy where we are going. I don't think it's an issue and I don't really want to talk about it."
Anthony Foley shares Horan's view. "Our pack were immense," he said. The former captain did not make it to the dugout but his eyes narrowed and his pride showed. Foley too would have made hay in such a match.
"I thought Ronan and Paul thought it through very well at the end and that kicking at the posts was a little more risky than kicking out," said the number number eight. "We were in that position with Connacht funnily enough. In Athlone at 3-0 up we'd a kick to go 6-0 up. But that was the only way they were going to get into our half with a kick off. We said kick to the corner and kill time. The boys today made the right decision at the right time."
