Gutsy Connacht force Munster to work hard

FOR the cynical among you, let’s deal with the harsh realities first. Munster were not at full strength on Saturday night, they had just five starters from the Heineken Cup quarter final, ran in two soft tries before half time and another after the break, in what was a comfortable victory.Despite this, many followers of the western province will take some heart from their team’s performance here. Not least from the manner in which they fought back into the contest in the second half.Once again the signs of honest endeavour were evident and it seems clear that the consistent team selection is leading to consistent performances. Small squads can’t rotate like Munster do, they don’t have more world class players waiting in the wings for one thing, and no doubt with three very targetable games to come before the season ends, the temptation to mix things around was strong, but the coaching staff resisted and in a small way it worked. Heads can remain high in training this week. Just as in Northampton, Connacht competed well for long periods.Perhaps the most encouraging thing of all is the way this Connacht side can score big tries at key junctures in these games against the more established teams. Ray Ofisa’s try last week, rocked Northampton before their blitzkrieg finale ended hope. Fionn Carr’s effort in this contest after half time when they trailed by 17 wasn’t as spectacular but it was encouraging. Connacht are...