Odds are stacked against Connacht in Thomond Park

Date Published: {J}

Dara Bradley

MUNSTER Rugby has nominated the St Stephen’s Day Rabo Direct PRO 12 fixture with Connacht at Thomond Park (kick-off, 7.45pm) as an official ‘charity match’ – donations from the purchase of a match programme will go towards three local charities.

Connacht will be hoping the Munster players will be equally as charitable on the field as they travel south in search of their first win since September. They shouldn’t count on it, however.

The Westerners haven’t exactly had much charity from their Munster cousins of late: The most recent St Stephen’s Day fixture between the sides was in 2009, when the hosts were as inhospitable as the bitterly cold weather, as they blitzed the hapless visitors with an exhibition of rugby that saw them race into a 22-0 lead after just 28 minutes, which was enough to put the contest – if that’s what you’d call it – beyond doubt. Munster then rung the changes and still went on to win comfortably 35-6, with a try-scoring bonus.

The most recent meeting between the sides, at Thomond last May, doesn’t hold many fond memories for Connacht either. They were holding their own in the opening half, making it to the break just two penalties in arrears, but came unstuck late-on when Doug Howlett was first to react to a clever Paul Warwick grubber kick to touchdown for a try that sealed the win. In fairness, Connacht can feel somewhat hard done by, as full-back Gavin Duffy had a try disallowed, although the better team won on the day as the 22-6 score-line suggests.

It’s not just last May and December 2009 that sticks out for all the wrong reasons – Connacht’s away record (results rather than performances, which have invariably been decent even in defeat) against Munster is dire. They haven’t beaten Munster in Limerick in 25 years since that famous 11-9 win in November, 1986.

Connacht have lost the last five meetings with Munster and their only other win against them in a quarter of a century – even though they came agonisingly close with several three-point defeats and hard luck stories – was a Christmas meeting at Sportsground in 2008 when the home side battled tenaciously to beat the then Heineken Cup champions 12-6.

And then when you take into account that Munster has lost at home just once this season; that Connacht has won just once on the road this season; and have only ever once beaten an Irish province away in this competition’s history (Leinster, in 2002) then it’s easy to see why the odds are stacked in favour of a home win this weekend.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.