Munster v Toulouse in a European Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park. It certainly has a certain cache to it, with Toulouse intent on atoning for their heavy beating there at the same juncture three seasons ago. But for Connacht it will be such a tough game to watch, for it could have been Munster v Connacht in a European Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park.
Looking ahead to that Munster-Toulouse match-up in Limerick between the two- and four-time winners, in what is their fourth meeting in the knockout stages including the final of 2008, a rueful Connacht captain John Muldoon managed to put aside his own regrets, for a moment.
“Thomond Park, Heineken Cup . . . you know the history,” he said. “This club [Toulouse] has huge history as well and if you give them an opportunity they’ll take it. We’ve been watching their games and in the last few weeks, I don’t know what’s gone on, but they’ve gone back to the club of old. They’re throwing the ball around and the flair is back. When they have that French flair and that capability with those big forwards up front and they start mixing it, anything is possible.
“But Thomond Park in a quarter-final, Jesus, you wouldn’t like to be going there,” he said, briefly forgetting that, in fact, he’d have loved it. “Anywhere else would be a bonus, but look they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in there and so will Munster. Munster will be fancying their chances. It’ll be a good game, but we’re just disappointed we’re not in there. That would have been some day. Thomond Park, Connacht v Munster . . . ,” he concluded, his thoughts trailing off to what might have been.
Penalty opportunities
Uppermost amongst those were the reflections on whether Connacht might have been more patient entering the last 10 minutes, and waited for a penalty opportunity or a drop-goal, as a six- or seven-point defeat would have set up that quarter-final against Munster.
“Yeh, it was a big opportunity and I suppose that’s the most disappointing thing. You’re going home with your tail between your legs, going ‘what if?’. Undoubtedly Jack (Carty) could have slotted back into the pocket and they’d have had seven or eight minutes to go down and score a try, and they could have got four tries and we’d be sitting here and licking our wounds anyway.
“We were conscious of the fact that a bonus point would get us there, but also that they could score four tries. We made it very difficult for ourselves in the first-half. We just didn’t look after the ball,” said Muldoon.
Connacht’s warrior captain had been immense again, dragging them back into the game with his try, and it transpired he was very close to not playing.
“I gave my hammy a bit of a twinge on Friday so I’d a fitness test to do before the game. We had one or two backrows here. Poor old Eoin (McKeon), I felt sorry for him, he was mentally preparing all day and it’s either start or not be involved at all. He looked over at me and I put the thumbs up and he just pointed at himself and says ‘I’m in?’ and I said ‘no, I’m grand’.
‘Came right’
“So, I felt sorry for him but I have to thank the physios and Pat (Lam) for putting the call in my hands and respecting my decision. I told Pat it would be yes or no, no 50-50s, and thankfully it came right. I’d have easily sat in the stand in exchange for a win but it is what it is.”
You wonder when Muldoon especially and Connacht might have such an opportunity again, not alone qualifying for the Champions Cup, but as first seeds, in a pool with Zebre and still being in with a chance up until the very last play of their final pool game.
“We’re disappointed with what could have been, but you have to remember that we’ve won four games in the Champions Cup on the back of qualifying for the competition through our own work last season.
“I said to the lads in the dressing-room afterwards: ‘We’re out, it’s gone and we’ve to concentrate now on the Pro12’. We have to get some wins in the Pro12 because when we look at the table we know we need to get a few results to get us back up there and make sure that we’re back in this competition next year.
“This time last year we went on a run of five [wins] out of five with five bonus points and ultimately that probably won us the league. We need to start winning some games.”
