Bitemarks, standing legs, and sheer disdain: theirs is the best kind of rivalry because neither side was born into it.
Two clubs separated by 600km and a body of water, none of which runs under the bridge.They are your two similarly-minded friends from separate social circles whom you excitedly unite at a party only for them to ruin the whole fecking night arguing about something that nobody can remember. The following morning, neither is willing to accept even partial culpability. Congratulations, you’ll spend the rest of your life ensuring they don’t come within an ass’s roar of each other again.
Peter Clohessy would be its protagonist, a reluctant hero whose previous infractions on the rugby field would absolutely constitute a ‘checkered past’. Among its primary antagonists, meanwhile, would be future Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend, then a player for French club Castres. Clohessy was cleared of any wrongdoing. Lassissi received a year-long ban but this was later overturned on appeal.
Castres’ whole case fell apart, however, when neither Townsend nor Spreadbury could recall any such interaction. It’s surely no coincidence that the atmosphere between Munster and Glasgow began to turn bilious just as Townsend got his feet under the desk at Scotstoun a decade later. Consider the Munster figures who spilled over from 2002 into the early 2010s: Anthony Foley as forwards coach; Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Peter Stringer and Ronan O’Gara as agenda-setters among the playing contingent.
O’Callaghan was magnanimous during the hearing and the independent disciplinary hearing found that “while Niko’s teeth had come into contact with Donnacha O’Callaghan’s arm, causing injury, this contact was accidental and therefore not an act of foul play”. Sure enough, Murray was also cleared as the sides appeared to settle outside of rugby’s mock court.
Glasgow had become a decidedly better team than Munster by 2015. The Irish province would have known as much even when Ian Keatley’s 77th-minute penalty eked out a two-point league victory over the Scots at Thomond Park five months later; Warriors had been left without 21 players who were on World Cup duty, Munster just six.
Captains Peter O'Mahony and Jonny Gray arguing during 'The Axel Game' in 2016. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO The Ireland wing’s public retraction and apology that December was brutal in its honesty but it frankly came too late to mend that particular bridge. The news cycle had long since moved on.The power dynamic between the two clubs, though, had tilted dramatically back in Munster’s favour. Fraser Brown himself recently remarked that the best All Blacks team of the last 20 years wouldn’t have beaten Munster in that Axel game. His side had been left shellshocked.
Match footage shows that Murray was certainly hit after playing the ball on at least 10 occasions. Several of them were legal Glasgow hits. A few more were either borderline or late. A couple of them absolutely posed a significant danger to his front leg, regardless of intent. But only one contact was penalised by referee Luke Pearce, and that was whistled only because Glasgow eight Josh Strauss had played Murray from the ground.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How Glasgow lessons put Munster on road to boasting best defence in URCThe province worked hard on improving their defence after two worrying performances against the Warriors.
Read more »
Munster welcome Nankivell back for Glasgow semi but Nash ruled outMike Haley, Fineen Wycherley and Jack O’Donoghue also return to the starting team.
Read more »
Munster braced for a feisty challenge from formidable GlasgowCarrot of a home URC final in Thomond Park no small incentive for Graham Rowntree’s side
Read more »
Munster back their bench to power past GlasgowThe province are 80 minutes away from a home URC final at Thomond Park.
Read more »
The South Africans and Scots out to prevent an all-Irish URC finalThe Bulls and Glasgow take on Leinster and Munster on Saturday in the semi-finals.
Read more »
Garry Ringrose returns to Leinster side for semi-final showdown with BullsURC team news: Munster make four changes for home semi-final clash with Glasgow Warriors
Read more »