O’Mahony calls on Munster to step up
Munster captain Peter O’Mahony says there are no excuses for last weekend’s loss to Saracens ahead of this weekend’s clash with Sale.
Defeat in Barnet ended the Irish province’s hopes of reaching the last eight, something they had failed to do just once in the previous 16 seasons.
They have also lost three games in a row in the same season in Europe for the first time, and despite injury concerns, O’Mahony believes it was the team’s inability to succeed in the basics which proved the difference.
“I don’t think any of the players gave any of those excuses for Saturday’s defeat,” he told the Limerick Leader.
“Money and what was the other one, injuries? I don’t think any of the players have given those excuses. I don’t think we have given any excuses.
“We were very poor at the weekend. If guys aren’t going to hold on to the ball, if guys are going to miss roles, as I said you’re not going to compete with a team like Saracens.
“If you have all the money in the world, if you’re Toulon or whoever, if you’re going to play like that you’re not going to compete.
“I think Munster have competed with them (big-spending teams) for years. Munster has never been flowing with money. We’ve always relied on our academy, we’ve always relied on the players coming through having a passion to play for Munster.
“Munster is a team that drew in players because of what we do and I think we have to stay at it, to stick at it. We’ve had a good look at ourselves and we need to stay on it.
“It’s there, we know it’s there. We have a good squad and there’s good young fellas coming through. There’s good guys there at the moment. There’s good guys there at the moment and we’ve just got to keep plugging away.”