Rugby Union - Heineken Cup: SORRY QUINS MUNSTERED; HEINEKEN CUP RUGBY

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Oct 7, 2001 | by DAVID WILLIAMS

QUINS coach John Kingston tipped Munster for European glory and admitted: "They are the Leicester of Irish rugby."

Kingston spent two years coaching club rugby in Ireland and knows all about Munster's strength.

But he was still powerless to prevent last year's Heineken Cup semi-finalists from earning a deserved and priceless away victory.

He said: "Munster are as good as any side in the tournament and it would not surprise me if they went all the way to the final.

"They remind me of Leicester because in tight matches at crucial stages of games they always seem to know what to do to get out of trouble. But I am an optimist and I'm still looking forward to the return in Cork."

Jason Holland landed the counter-punches which floored Quins. He struck a wonderful drop goal with 11 minutes left and then capped the Irish win with a breakaway try on the stroke of full-time.

With Ireland fly-half Ronan O'Gara also scoring a try and kicking 11 more points it all added up to an afternoon of misery for Quins and their Irish hooker Keith Wood.

All the home side could muster was an early try from England wing Dan Luger and a Paul Burke penalty. Munster reached the final of the Heineken Cup two years ago and the semi-final last season.

On this form they will take some stopping again, although it was a victory that owed as much to raw-boned defensive strength as to their strike power.

But it was Quins who looked the more dangerous side early on and it was no surprise when Luger struck to give them the lead.

A superb break by Burke cut through Munster's defence and led to Luger powering over for the touch-down.

However, an opportunist try by O'Gara, followed by his own conversion put Munster 13-5 up at the break and that knocked the stuffing out of Quins.

The home side panicked and played from far too deep - allowing streetwise Munster to expose them and for Holland's late flourish to finish them off.

SCORERS: QUINS; Try - Luger, Pen - Burke

MUNSTER; Tries - Holland, O'Gara; Pens - O'Gara (3), Cons - O'Gara; Drop Goals - Holland, O'Gara.

POOL 4

P W D L F A Pts

Munster 2 2 0 0 52 31 4

Harlequins 2 1 0 1 38 48 2

Castres 2 1 0 1 58 51 2

Bridgend 2 0 0 2 47 65 0

POOL 3

P W D L F A Pts

Bath 2 2 0 0 52 15 4

Swansea 2 1 0 1 30 54 2

Edinburgh 2 0 1 1 22 27 1

Biarritz 2 0 1 1 12 20 1

POOL 6

P W D L F A Pts

Leinster 2 2 0 0 68 19 4

Newport 2 2 0 0 55 41 4

Newcastle 2 0 0 2 30 62 0

Toulouse 2 0 0 2 30 61 0