Shane Horgan is off to Lyon this weekend and for the first time in a long time, he feels Leinster can get the job done in a big European game. He thinks Munster have a “live chance” too.
It’s no surprise to hear the former Leinster and Ireland winger still refers to the Champions Cup as Heineken Cup every now and then. He has good memories of that competition.
Watching Leinster in Europe over the past four years has not been easy going, though. Toulon did for them in 2014 and 2015 and last season was a disaster [five pool stage losses]. Horgan is on TV commentary duty this weekend and he travels to France with genuine hopes of a Leinster vs. Munster final in Edinburgh.
Imagine that.
His optimism for Munster chances may soften their fans’ take on him. It has only been a week, after all, since he left CJ Stander out of a Lions squad for The Sunday Times.
Stander appeared to be one of a handful of Ireland players locked in for British & Irish selection but Horgan, a Lion back in 2005, was not so certain. He picked the likes of Sean Cronin, Sean O’Brien and Garry Ringrose in his squad but there was no Stander.
Come on now, Shaggy https://t.co/VqeGfhSEZ7
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 19, 2017
Speaking to SportsJOE at the launch of The Stadium Shuffle, Horgan insists he is delighted the “incredible” Stander made Warren Gatland’s 41-man squad. He says:
“I had to pick my squad on the parameters of there only being 36 players. There was a bigger squad named [by Gatland] and he ended up taking two extra back rows.
“I had thought it might be between Stander and Peter O’Mahony for that last place but it was a smart move bringing both. Bringing Iain Henderson too was very smart.”
Horgan adds, “CJ, in many ways, had been the stand-out back row in the Six Nations. As a ball carrier, he has been incredible. My quandary was him or O’Mahony, who is very good over that ball and has that almost intangible quality the Lions will need in New Zealand.”
Luckily for Horgan, Stander, O’Mahony and Henderson, Gatland opted to go big on his squad.
All is good with the world again and the former Leinster winger is welcome back at Thomond Park the next time he is commentary duty.
As for the Champions Cup semi-finals, Horgan identified Stander, O’Mahony, Johnny Sexton and Tadhg Furlong as the key men in Munster and Leinster’s ambitions. Gatland picked all four in his whopper squad so they should be up for it.
The ones to watch though, he predicted, were the likes of Ringrose, Keith Earls, Donnacha Ryan and Simon Zebo. Gatland didn’t pick those lads and there are points to prove…
Shane Horgan helped launch The Stadium Shuffle ahead of a huge weekend of European Rugby. Rugby supporters can join Heineken Rugby Club, where members receive unique benefits such as match tickets, event invites, discounts across some of Ireland’s top brands and more.
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