Bullish prediction made for Munster's URC quarter-final if the Reds are firing

Irish Daily Mirror

4 days ago

Munster interim head coach Ian Costello insists that the Reds can savage the Sharks and make the semi-finals - but must perform at their best to do so.
The province lost 41-24 to the same opponents in Durban in round six of the regular season, a defeat that ended Graham Rowntree's tenure as head coach.
Costello maintains, however, there is no added motivation to take down the Sharks for that reason after the Reds rallied late in the campaign to set up Saturday's quarter-final.
"No, that hasn't come into it at all, if I'm honest," he said. "This group, over the last couple of weeks, have really shown how much they care about each other. It came out in the way we trained, prepared, what we would have seen behind closed doors and what you would have seen in the performances.
"You don't get the intensity and physicality of a performance like that unless there is a real deep care and it means a huge amount to this group.
"I think that was huge to get that job done, but we've had a taste of play-offs before, we've played a few knock-outs this year, more than we would have liked, especially over the last couple of weeks. That's set us up to have a real crack at this week, so it's a fresh focus and just really excited about play-off rugby."
It is two years since Munster famously went on the road to claim the URC title and they will have to do the same this year to repeat that success.
The Sharks finished in third spot in the table, having only managed 14th last season, but they have been unable to marry up performances with a consistent win ratio. Nevertheless Costello spells out what it will require for Munster to get the job done.
"We need to get our best or very, very close to it," he said. "We need to be accurate. "We need to execute well and physically, mentally and emotionally, we need to be at the right pitch. If we are, I absolutely believe that we have the ability to win.
"I've a huge amount of faith in the players and the coaches, the plan that they've put together. There's a lot that goes into winning a game of that size against a team of that quality.
"But if we're close to our best and we execute the way we know we can, we absolutely do believe this squad is good enough to give them a real good crack on Saturday.
"We all know that we had to get into the play-offs. We had to get into the Champions Cup, that's the expectation that comes with Munster, rightly so. I think it was really important that we drew a line under that first. We put an awful lot into that physically, mentally and particularly emotionally in the last two weeks. There was so much to be pleased with in those last two weeks."
The news that out-half Jack Crowley is available after suffering a rib injury is a massive boost for the province, while hookers Diarmuid Barron and Niall Scannell, plus loosehead Jeremy Loughman, are also available.
"It's huge," Costello said. "Look, I suppose you go back six months and our availability was not where we would have liked it to be. There were a lot of challenges and changes at the club, and we probably didn't have the deep squad to select from those early games and that's what's so pleasing about where we're at now. The squad is really competitive.
"That comes out in selection, but it also comes out in training every day, so it means every single training session is better. People are really driven to perform in training, they know that training matters and there's probably 27, 28 guys that are really competitive to make a 23, or even a 15 at the moment. That drives standards right across the board.
"Bar a couple of players, we're in a pretty good position in terms of the health of our squad this week, and will need to be."