Ireland centre Farrell sets out the game-plan Munster must use to beat Saracens
Chris Farrell admits Munster’s inability to progress beyond the semi-finals has become a concern that will influence their approach to Saturday’s Champions Cup clash with Saracens.
The rivals meet at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena in a repeat of the 2017 semi-final in Dublin that saw Mark McCall’s men run out emphatic 26-10 winners en route to claiming a second successive Champions Cup title.
Munster have failed to progress beyond the last four since 2008 – the year they lifted the second of their two European crowns – and Farrell insists that only by carrying the fight to Saracens can they make a critical breakthrough.
Here is your Munster team for tomorrow's Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens! ? #SARvMUN
We'll be arriving at the Ricoh Arena tomorrow at around 1.30pm if supporters would like to welcome our squad to the stadium!
See you there! #RedArmyRising #SUAF ? pic.twitter.com/3h2XwpPN6l
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) April 19, 2019
“We’ve got to get past the semi-final stage because this is our third in a row now,” the Belfast-born centre said.
“It’s a 14th semi-final, which is a record, but we’ve got to get past this point. It can’t be a sticking point all the time
“We can’t have the same mindset as in previous years, we’ve got to do something different and implement things that haven’t worked in the past.
“Saracens have been one of the biggest forces in Europe over the last few seasons. They’re always there or thereabouts, but we gave them too much respect two years ago.
“We’re not going to sit back the way we did in 2017 and let them enforce their game in the second half, which is what they did that time.
“Eventually we cracked and we didn’t really look like we could trouble them. They were a better side that day, but we’re different now and we’ve added a lot to our team.
“We’ve got some real quality now – Tadhg Beirne is a big, big asset to us and Peter O’Mahony is playing rugby like he’s never played before. This time we’re better.”
Team's up!
Your Saracens team to take on Munster in the @ChampionsCup semi-finals ?
Come on Sarries! ?? pic.twitter.com/UfGxzmTI5p
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) April 19, 2019
Farrell believes the contest will be decided by a combination of technique and desire, with Munster determined to make an early statement.
“Saracens are the number one team in Europe coming into this game and will be expecting to win, so we have to show we won’t make it easy for them. We want to put them under pressure early,” Farrell said.
“They are a really physical team and we can expect it to be a real battle. The breakdown and in the contact area will be huge for us in terms of trying to knock their momentum.
“They’re a team who when they get momentum are really dangerous off the back of it. When you stop them at source, get your body height right and get the collisions correct, you have a chance.
“They rely massively on their set piece and the contact area, so being physical will be crucial.
“We always say that we start from zero and this is a new game, regardless of what happened in the quarter-final. This is our chance to start from zero.”
PA
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Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments