O'Gara might miss 1/4 Final

demac

http://rugby.ie/news/story.asp?j=11646

ALTHOUGH the Munster management remained tight-lipped on the subject, it has emerged that Ronan O'Gara is a major doubt for Munster's Heineken Cup quarter final against Perpignan at Lansdowne Road this evening (5.30pm).

O'Gara tweaked a hamstring during training on Thursday and has been undergoing intensive treatment in the hope of getting him fully fit for the crunch encounter.

O'Gara was yesterday named in his usual out-half position with New Zealand born UCC student Jeremy Manning on the reserve bench. But it is also believed that the vastly experienced Paul Burke was called up once O'Gara's difficulties became apparent and it will be early this afternoon before a final decision is made on who will fill the No 10 jersey.

Obviously, the loss of O'Gara would be a potential disaster for Munster, given his outstanding form and his unchallenged record as the European Cup's most influential out-half for the past decade.

Realistically, all predictions as to the outcome are irrelevant until the O'Gara situation is clarified, but it is obvious that Perpignan are a formidable side and mean business, having arrived in the Dublin on the back of a series of impressive performances in the fiercely contested French championship. When they ended Bourgoin's four-year unbeaten home record last Sunday, they demonstrated they no longer have a fear of going on the road and tackling the toughest of opposition.

Not alone that, Munster are most certainly not playing at home this evening and there is a huge difference between a game in Thomond Park and one 120 miles away in the leafy suburbs of Dublin 4.

Coach Declan Kidney admitted earlier this week that he doesn't know much about betting, but he is certainly taking a gamble with the selection of Tomas O'Leary at outside centre. It was a great disappointment to the coach that he couldn't try O'Leary in the position in last week's postponed Celtic League tie at Llanelli, but he has stood by that decision, explaining last night: "Mike Mullins, Christian Cullen and Rob Henderson have had hardly any game time since Christmas. I know it is a big ask of Tomas but he is a fine footballer, he has speed, he can pass and he has played on the wing. I am confident he can do a job for us. As for his defence, you only worry about it in the first phase, after that it's up to each player to adapt himself to whatever situation comes up."

Kidney is also satisfied Denis Leamy has proved his fitness. The Cashel man trained fully with the team on Thursday and the ankle he injured against England showed no reaction yesterday. So he is good to go, meaning former Perpignan man Mick O'Driscoll starts on the bench where Kidney has yet to decide between Mullins, Henderson and Cullen for the two vacancies he has left until today.

Around 45,000 members of the red army will cram into Lansdowne Road and will lift the roof off in their efforts to inspire another famous victory for Anthony Foley's team. They will create a fantastic atmosphere. It may prove the difference between victory and defeat in what I am convinced will be a desperately close affair. As Kidney and his players have been explaining all week, Perpignan are no strangers to hostile environments; they have one of their own at Stade Aime Giral and don't complain when they are given some of their own back when visiting Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse or Parc Des Sports Aguilera in Biarritz. And they know Lansdowne Road well, having beaten Leinster there by 21-14 in the 2003 semi-final before returning for the final and running Toulouse to 22-17.

Furthermore, they are a team in the strictest sense of the word. Whereas two thirds of the Munster side have been involved with Ireland over the past ten weeks or so, Perpignan have been working away at home, scarcely inconvenienced by the demands of the national side. The result is that they have been able to attain a cohesiveness that proved too much for most of their rivals, most notably Bourgoin only seven days ago. They may not boast any marquee names but their chosen XV includes four French internationals, two Scottish and Romanian and one each from Italy, Argentina, New Zealand and England. In fact, few Irishmen need reminding that centre David Marty scored two of the six French tries at the Stade de France in February, and try telling any Catalan that their talismanic captain and flanker Bernard Goutta and full-back Julien Laharrague, to name but two, aren't the equal of anyone who played for Les Bleus this season.

Prop Perry Freshwater forced his way into the England front row and has two Heineken Cup medals from his days with Leicester Tigers; Nathan Hines was a regular in the Scottish second-row and Ramiro Pez was a revelation in the number ten shirt for Italy. True, Munster can call upon Ireland's Triple Crown winning pack, with Anthony Foley for Simon Easterby the only exception. Those who know how the red jersey inspires the captain certainly won't worry on that account.

"It's going to be very tight and it will be decided up front", says Foley in his customary straightforward manner. Kidney points to Perpignan's achievement in conceding an average of just over eight points in their six pool games as evidence of their powerful defence, adding: "When they get into the opposition half, they are very patient. They work the phases and keep the ball in hand and when a drop goal chance comes along, they are quick and able to take it. They have a strong team and a strong bench and should we get a result in what may possibly be a low scoring game, it would be a huge day for us."