Donnacha O’Callaghan looks to the home support
Munster lock Donnacha O’Callaghan has won more pressure games at Thomond Park than not.
The Munster team seems to thrive in adversity and O’Callaghan is the type of player that epitomises that never-say-die attitude.
This weekend’s Heineken Cup match will be one such occasion where Munster will have to overcome an expensively assembled Toulon side that is full of household names.
However, O'Callaghan doesn’t believe that Munster would be better off with the resources that Toulon has.
“To be fair, leaving money aside, if you were throwing a team together, you would still have the likes of Denis Leamy running out for Munster, you would still have Peter Stringer, you would still have Ronan O’Gara; the guys who care about the place,” said
the Irish forward.
“And hopefully that will come out on Saturday and that is always what it comes down to, isn’t it? It is about playing for your team more so than playing for your bank account,” added the Munster second row.
O'Callaghan is in no doubt that Munster will be up against it when they face a star-studded Toulon that had the luxury of dropping the Argentine out half Felipe Contepomi against the Ospreys in favour of the England World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson.
“They are both great 10s,” O’Callaghan admitted.
O’Callaghan conceded that the likes of Contepomi will not be afraid of Thomond Park having played for rivals Leinster for a number of years.
“He would have great knowledge into how we play and knows the atmosphere at Thomond. He won’t be daunted coming here,” O’Callaghan said.
The Munster forward has also faced the Toulon coach Phillipe Saint-Andre who will warn his side of the Thomond Park support.
“We would have played Saint-Andre twice when he coached Sale and they were hugely confrontational games as well. So he knows what to expect. Everyone has their homework done and if a team has a weakness, it will be shown up,” O’Callaghan stated.
The 31-year-old knows how important the home support is, but he admitted that the team needs to give the crowd something to cheer about by playing their best rugby.
“When we first saw the draw, we thought: one team will come out of this group. Home matches are vital and it is the beauty of the European Cup. You have to be at your best, week-in, week-out. And it is great to test yourself against big squads, clubs with
huge money.”
O’Callaghan believes that the bond between team mates at the club and their relationship with the fans will spur them on as it has done in the past.
“I have been lucky to have been involved with this team for a long time and I have never felt that I have been playing with team-mates but with my friends. And it is a hugely important thing for me. I know it is said a lot, but you go further for a friend
than a team-mate,” said the Munster forward.
“That is what it always comes down to. It comes down to your love for the team and for the game and hopefully on Saturday we can front up to that because to be honest in the last two weeks we haven’t,” continued O’Callaghan.
The two-time Heineken Cup champions have always been at their best when they have been written off. After losing to rivals Leinster and then London Irish, Munster will rely on that special bond to bring them through another testing time.
However, Toulon will know that you write off Munster at your peril.
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