MUNSTER HEAD COACH Johann van Graan didn’t have to add much in the way of hype for tomorrow’s Pro14 final against Leinster (kick-off 5pm, eir Sport). But when he did underline the game’s importance he noted that it was Munster’s first final in four years.
Not many in the southern province carry fond memories of that day, an Aviva Stadium thrashing at the hands of a rampant Scarlets.
Out-halves Tyler Bleyendaal and Ian Keatley are among eight of the matchday squad to have moved on since, not to mention the head coach of the day Rassie Erasmus.
Among their tormentors in the 22-46 defeat – a scoreline that was even more lob-sided with six minutes to go than it was at full-time – was a man who will be key if they are to succeed in their return to the Pro14 decider.
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Tadhg Beirne is in a different shade of red four years later, but he has a familiar scent in his nostrils, a sense that his side is being written off.
Source: James Crombie/INPHO
“If I think back, I think the Irish media had written off Scarlets pretty early,” Beirne said after being whisked from training to a press conference this week, “so I think we probably went in with an extra… I dunno, probably a lot of people were not expecting us to win that game back here.
“I’m not too sure where all your heads are at,” he says nodding at a screen full of rugby correspondents, “a lot of you could already be writing us off because everyone has Leinster on that pedestal.
Beirne has every right to be confident at whatever volume he likes. Even as Ireland lacked consistency as they moved into the second year under a new coach, Beirne was consistently excellent during the Six Nations. He chalks the rich vein down to simply having the chance to settle into a regular rhythm of playing.
“I feel that kind of form has been there for me,” says Beirne.
“When you are playing for Ireland it is going to be noticed a lot more, a lot more people are watching those games. To get a run of five games on the bounce was a massive opportunity for me and I only went out and tried to do what I had been doing for Munster.”
Now it is time for Beirne to bring the same red-hot form back to Munster when they need it most, there certainly isn’t much time for it to cool off.
Coaches routinely bemoan a six-day gap between matches as ‘a short turnaround’, but the incredible scenario that Covid-era rugby scheduling has brought us now is a final seven days after the Six Nations closing day.
Beirne at training in Thomond Park this week.
Seven days to change from one team to another, changing coaches, styles and turn team-mates to the most fierce of rivals. Once he gets his head around the system, Beirne has no concern that the nature of competition will allow the rest to fall into place.
“Both sides are going to be in the same boat. That is probably the most challenging thing is to get onto the same page, to where Munster have been working towards. We have been out of that environment for eight weeks now, so that is the biggest difficulty.
“In terms of flicking a switch on the day of a final, it is a final at the end of the day.