‘It’s been six years since we’ve beaten Munster and only once in the last 41 meetings. We know how big a test this is’
Pat Lam was certainly not sugar-coating it for Connacht supporters when he named his team for the crucial New Years’ Day clash with Munster in Galway. An extremely positive start to the season has been halted by away defeats to Leinster and Ulster. The westerners are back home at The Sportsground for the January 1 encounter are are confident they can take Munster’s scalp.
‘Munster are very famous back in New Zealand,’ says recently arrived Kiwi hooker Tom McCartney. The former Auckland Blues star has joined Lam’s rugby revolution out west having played Super XV under him for two seasons in 2008 and 2009. ‘Munster’s win over the All Blacks (in 1978) is well documented back home. They rarely lose so to be beaten by a club side makes that game even more well known.
‘They also have a great history of New Zealand players lining out for them; guys like Christian Cullen and Doug Howlett. So, to play against Munster for the first time is very special.’
The 29-year-old Aucklander, who learned his trade back home at club side Pakuranga, has another reason to beat Munster – getting one over the in-laws. The maiden name of Karen, McCartney’s wife, is Brennan. Her grandfather is a proud Munster man who migrated to New Zealand but kept up his native traditions and made sure his children and grandchildren got their Irish passports. ‘Paul O’Connell is world-class,’ McCartney adds, ‘and I can’t wait to test myself against him, and the Munster front row.’
McCartney describes himself as a late bloomer in rugby terms and tells SportsJOE his late teens and early 20s were spent building muscle in the gym while his colleagues played age grade rugby for the national team. He eventually broke into Auckland’s ITM Cup team, under Lam, then progressed to their Super Rugby franchise.
He marks his highpoint as an Auckland Blue as the 2011 season that saw them lead the league standings for most of the season only to lose their semi-final knock-out to Queensland Reds, who went on to win the title. 2011 was also the closest he got to the All Blacks senior team as he was called in to train with the squad before and, when Corey Flynn picked up a knock, during the World Cup.
An expected breakthrough never materialised, in 2012, as the Blues’ form nosedived and McCartney’s own performance levels dipped. ‘I didn’t step up, as I hoped I would have, but I learned more about my game, and my resolve, from that season than I ever did through the success and acclaim of 2011.
Heading towards 30 and seeking new challenges, the phone-call he received from Pat Lam in early 2014 was much welcomed. ‘It was initially a bit of a sell for Pat but once he told me about the vision he had for Connacht and where he is trying to go, I signed up.’
Lam’s vision looks like it could be on schedule as the province defy critics and opponents with impressive outing after outing. A top six league finish is a real possibility but try to tell a New Zealander that such a position would be a success.
McCartney declares, ‘Top six is great but you’re not going to look back at your career when you finish and say ‘Oh great, we finished sixth’. We want to win trophies and hopefully Connacht will be in a position to do that in the next couple of seasons.’
He adds, ‘To be unbeaten at home this season is one of the things we spoke about and, so far, we have achieved that. Munster are coming up and will test that record severely but, if we get our processes right and finish off the chances we have been creating, I’m sure we can come out with the right result.’
