Foley would be proud, we carry him in our hearts every day: Rassie
Munster boss Rassie Erasmus believes Anthony Foley would be really proud of his team’s path to the Champions Cup semi-finals as the province returns to the scene of their late head coach’s final game,
Foley died suddenly on October 16, hours before Munster’s opening pool game of this season’s Champions Cup pool campaign against Racing 92 in Paris and seven days after he had taken charge of a Pro12 derby defeat to Leinster at Aviva Stadium.
Today Munster return to the Dublin stadium to play Saracens in front of a sell-out 51,700 crowd, the latest big game in a remarkable season since Foley’s death and the poignancy of the venue is not lost on the province’s director of rugby.
“The last game we played here, where Anthony was in charge of the team, he was the head coach, it was the last time we were in that changing room, he was with us in the changing room and then the next week he passed away,” Erasmus said.
“I just know the private conversations we had after that loss against Leinster, I know what I would tell him and I know he would smile but it wouldn’t be something I could say in front of (the media) now.
“I just think he would be really proud, because the guys carry him in our hearts every day. We talk about him, he’s part of our daily training and I think that would put a smile on his face and hopefully we can make him proud.”
Munster’s reaction to Foley’s death has been admired by Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall, the Ulsterman who coached with Axel when the pair took charge of the Irish Wolfhounds.
“It’s been remarkable, it’s been a master class in how they dealt with something so terrible,” McCall said yesterday.
“I don’t know how they did it but they did. They have shown some real class in the weeks and months after that tragedy.”
Saracens will go into this afternoon’s game as hot favourites to win their fifth successive Champions Cup semi-final and reach a third final in three seasons and despite being set to receive the support of the overwhelming majority inside the Aviva, Munster captain Peter O’Mahony admitted his side would have to play their best game ever to stop them.
“I think we need to be accurate, we need to be physical, we need to be patient,” O’Mahony said.
“We obviously need to perform excellently, this is the top team in Europe over the past two or three seasons and probably longer than that. We probably need to have the best game this group has ever had to beat a side of the quality of Saracens.”
Erasmus believes his side cannot afford to leave the Aviva tonight with any regrets.
“We’re in the top four and it’s well done by the boys. When the season started I didn’t think we’d get to this. So now we’re here we’d be really stupid not go full out for it... If you don’t enjoy it you’ll be in the changing room afterwards regretting it, so we’re going to enjoy it.”
