{"id":137930,"date":"2025-10-22T08:48:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T08:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/137930\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T08:48:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T08:48:09","slug":"munster-prove-mindset-can-still-decide-matches-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/137930\/","title":{"rendered":"Munster prove mindset can still decide matches \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Rory McIlroy<\/a> became the sixth player in history to complete a career Grand Slam, and when Shane Lowry<\/a> rolled in that putt to retain the Ryder Cup, I was reminded again of the sheer mental resilience required to excel at the elite level of sport.<\/p>\n

The margins are microscopic. Everyone at that level can execute the skill \u2013 the difference between glory and heartbreak is what happens between the ears.<\/p>\n

Most players can do it when it doesn\u2019t count. I remember being on a Lions tour when a post-training kicking session broke out \u2013 Johnny Wilkinson, Stephen Jones, Gavin Henson were all there. On that Tuesday on the South Island, surrounded by some of the best kickers from the northern hemisphere, I ended up with the most accurate boot.<\/p>\n

There was no celebration, though. I knew that come match day, the odds were that the ball would more likely slice off the outside of my foot than find its target.<\/p>\n

As sports psychologist Bob Rotella once said: \u201cThe difference between the best and the rest is rarely talent \u2013 it\u2019s mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

I had that mindset in most areas of my game, but under the spotlight I could be found wanting. Watching the URC<\/a> unfold over the weekend, it struck me how mindset can still decide matches.<\/p>\n

Leinster<\/a> v Munster<\/a> in Croke Park lived up to its billing as the game of the round. An early Leinster try had most of us thinking here we go again, but it turned into a cracker.<\/p>\n

For Leinster, it was the manner of the defeat that will sting most. Leo Cullen said it afterwards \u2013 Munster wanted it more.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a hard pill to swallow and brought back memories of days when I found myself on the wrong end of that same intensity.<\/p>\n

The semi-final in the old Lansdowne Road in 2005 springs to mind, when Munster brushed us aside on their way to claiming the trophy.<\/p>\n

\"BKTBKT United Rugby Championship, Croke Park, Dublin 18\/10\/2025 Leinster vs Munster Munster’s Jack Crowley celebrates Mandatory Credit \u00a9INPHO\/Dan Sheridan <\/p>\n

There were losses in Welford Road and tough nights in France too, and while they were hard to take at the time, they became part of our DNA. They were the cornerstone on which Michael Cheika rebuilt Leinster: no team would ever outwork or out-want us again. It started with attitude and mindset \u2013 everything else followed.<\/p>\n

The game back then was less tactical than it is today, but the fundamental principle remains unchanged. Munster were primed for confrontation. They shut down space, harried, harassed, niggled and played the game within the game far better.<\/p>\n

Players in matches like these can feel the pressure physically. The opposition are everywhere, and collectively the mindset shifts.<\/p>\n

You start trying not to make a mistake. You stand a step deeper in attack, hesitate on a pass, and opportunities drift away. Conversely, when momentum is with you, everything feels effortless. Offloads stick, kicks land perfectly.<\/p>\n

Trying to swing that momentum pendulum is difficult, and often, the harder you try, the worse it gets.<\/p>\n

Downfall<\/p>\n

Attitude was a big part of Leinster\u2019s downfall on Saturday, but there were tactical cracks too. Munster were clever and disciplined \u2013 Edwin Edogbo, Jack O\u2019Donoghue, Gavin Coombes, Tom Farrell and Brian Gleeson brought physicality, slowing Leinster\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n

Defence is always the foundation of any new coaching era \u2013 it\u2019s the easiest area for improvement \u2013 and Clayton McMillan<\/a> capitalised on that.<\/p>\n

Munster also had something they haven\u2019t had in a while \u2013 a positive injury profile, a few smart additions, and the ability to spring Jean Kleyn and Alex Nankivell from the bench, all orchestrated by Jack Crowley<\/a> in one of his most measured performances in a red jersey.<\/p>\n

Leinster, meanwhile, looked predictable. They had quality lineout ball and scrum dominance but despite 14 line breaks, rarely crossed the gainline.<\/p>\n

They offered little variety, structured phase after phase hitting a well-organised red wall. Any time Leinster generated momentum, Munster flooded the ruck, slowed it down, and reset.<\/p>\n

\"BKTBKT United Rugby Championship, Croke Park, Dublin 18\/10\/2025 Leinster vs Munster Munster’s Ethan Coughlan makes a break on way to scoring his sides third try of the match Mandatory Credit \u00a9INPHO\/Ben Brady <\/p>\n

Munster\u2019s defensive set-up suffocated Leinster. They offered no space on the edges, often keeping one man in the backfield with their scrumhalf defending in the line and both wingers pressing high. Ultimately it yielded an intercept try for Ethan Coughlan.<\/p>\n

In the latter stages, Leinster were guilty of chasing the result without recognising what wasn\u2019t working or where the space was. The responsibility for game direction doesn\u2019t rest solely with the outhalf \u2013 there\u2019s enough experience in that Leinster team to sense when something needs to shift on the pitch. How many went looking for the ball rather than trusting the system?<\/p>\n

For young Sam Prendergast<\/a>, this match will be part of his learning curve. It\u2019s an invaluable experience. These are the games that develop decision-makers. You get squeezed for space and time, and every choice is magnified. The key is reviewing those decisions, owning them, and coming back better.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t play badly \u2013 far from it \u2013 but he\u2019ll know himself there were moments he\u2019d manage differently. Every defence coach in the league has been studying how to limit his time and space.<\/p>\n

The temptation when that happens is to drift deeper, but sometimes the answer is the opposite \u2013 step up, become a target for defenders, and create holes for others. He did that on occasion.<\/p>\n

The season after your breakthrough is often the toughest. It tests your resolve and forces growth. Crowley went through it last year after his stellar breakthrough season, and now he looks composed and assured.<\/p>\n

Teams will focus on Prendergast in the same way, and he\u2019ll need time to adjust and respond to that attention.<\/p>\n

For Munster, this was the first time in a while they won nearly every individual battle. That depth, that hunger is a statement. For Leinster, it\u2019s a reminder that talent alone doesn\u2019t win matches. How you pitch up mentally matters.<\/p>\n

As former Leinster captain Liam Toland used to say \u2013 \u201cnever waste a good crisis\u201d. The best lessons come from a bit of hurt. Maybe this will prove a watershed moment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Rory McIlroy became the sixth player in history to complete a career Grand Slam, and when Shane…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":137931,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[18,19,17,132,59006],"class_list":{"0":"post-137930","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-urc"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}