Not being in the mix is the hardest part to take.
Munster fans are a realistic bunch. The last two decades have hardened them somewhat. They won’t win all the time but they’ll be right there until the end.
They were eliminated from Europe in the pool stages, last season, but rallied to reach the Guinness PRO12 final. This time out, their season will be over by May 7. Unthinkable really.
Squeaky bum time in the PRO12 https://t.co/BLXoI3IfK7
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 27, 2016
Alan Quinlan likes to think of himself as an objective observer but, on occasion, he can’t help himself. He is simply too entwined with his province.
Earlier this season, after Munster wilted away to Stade Francais, Quinlan let rip at his old club. They were nowhere near good enough. Heart, commitment, skill – all were lacking.
He has calmed down a little since then but even he can’t countenance the idea of Munster missing out on Champions Cup rugby. That is exactly what will happen, however, if they fall in either of their two remaining matches. He tells us:
“They’ve got Edinburgh and Scarlets to play and they’ve got to win both to guarantee European rugby…
“It’s different times really because Munster’s success was built on the great journey of the Heineken Cup. It’s tough to take… Winning is a habit and likewise with losing. It’s a hard one to break but you’ve got to create your own luck.
“At the end of the day it is down to quality and quality of performance. You can’t go through a whole season and say ‘We missed this opportunity, we missed that opportunity, our execution needs to be better’.”
*Alan Quinlan was wearing some of the Crivit Pro cycling gear that is now in Lidl stores nationwide
