Gloucester here we come!

Who has been writing the Munster scripts for the past 10 years? The story has all the ingredients for a blockbuster film that would rival ‘The Sporting Life’ which starred Dickie Harris.

Battling the Elements: In torrential rain, Doug Howlett, Munster, attempts to break through the London Wasps defence, during the epic Heineken Cup rugby battle at Thomond Park last Saturday. Picture: Keith Wiseman

The fans have been taken on a rollercoaster of emotion, from the depths of despair in 2000, when Northampton beat us by a single point in the Twickenham Heineken Cup final, with Leicester repeating the dose, beating us in 2002 at the Millennium Stadium.

Then came the sheer joy of winning the Cup against Biarritz in 2006.

The nail-biting climax to that game will forever live in the memory with the image of hordes of waving Munster fans, all wearing red, packed onto O’Connell Street in Limerick, flashed onto the giant screens at the Millennium Stadium.

God was on our side that day and also the Director of Sky outside broadcasts, who decided to link O’Connell Street with the massive stadium.

Now the bandwagon is on the move again as, for a record 10th time, Munster have emerged from the pool stages of this year’s competition.

We didn’t need any miracles this time but we were playing Wasps, the holders of the Heineken Cup, and they know all about Munster rugby.

Ronan O’Gara told his forwards in the dressing room that he needed a supreme effort from them on an ‘Angela’s Ashes’ type of night.

It is a credit to the pack, led by Anthony Foley, that they lifted their game to new heights.

Donncha O’Callaghan played one of his best games in the Munster jersey and Mick O’Driscoll wasn’t far behind him. Donncha and Mick are very conscious of having to up their game due to the injury to Paul O’Connell—hopefully the big Young Munster man will be able to return to the squad before the quarter final against Gloucester.