Ryan: We Have To Be A Lot More Clinical
Apart from the notable exceptions, Munster should be dealing from a full deck when they select their side for the Heineken Cup round 5 encounter with Edinburgh at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Of the three injured in the league defeat to Cardiff last Saturday, the least concern is about Stephen Archer (dead leg) and Conor Murray (cut lip), while Mike Sherry’s ankle injury will be further assessed later.
Sherry’s rival for the number 2 jersey, Damien Varley, returns having missed the Cork clash with the Blues through illness.
The countdown to the Edinburgh match begins in earnest today in Limerick with Donnacha Ryan confident that Munster can bounce back from the disappointing performance at Musgrave Park.
“I have absolutely no doubt we can. In that game we knocked on the ball a lot. Set piece didn’t function as we would have liked and we ran into touch so many times,” he told the province’s website.
“You’re releasing pressure on the opposition when you do that and so we didn’t give ourselves much of a chance.
“The answers to all that are within us. It’s a case of making the decision to attack in the areas we need to attack and following through with precision and accuracy. We didn’t do that last weekend.”
In Paul O’Connell’s injury-enforced absence, Ryan has been a real leader in the province’s pack – starting at blindside flanker in the opening European rounds against Racing Metro 92 and Edinburgh and then pairing up in the second row with Donncha O’Callaghan for the Saracens double header.
The Tipperary native, Munster’s Player of the Year last season, knows exactly what is needed as Rob Penney’s side look to stay in the hunt for qualification from Pool 1.
The Munstermen are third in the pool at present with 11 points, one behind Racing with Saracens setting the pace with 14 points. They wrap up the pool stages by hosting the French club in Limerick next week.
“Obviously we were very disappointed to lose last weekend. Especially to lose at home in front of our own crowd,” added Ryan.
“But this is a different competition this week. Different focus for us this week and certainly there’s no point in us dwelling too long on it, be really positive.
“We did a lot of good things last weekend. We just need to be a lot more clinical when we do get in the right areas.
“We are under no illusions what’s required this weekend. We’ll look to our performance first and foremost and take it from there really.”