Despite a number of games being cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreaks, the European Cup delivered yet again over the weekend.
Ulster will look back on their European campaign with a bit of regret, knowing how close they were to continuing their recent rise back to top form.
We were reminded how influential John Cooney is from both the tee and with his long-distance runs up and down the pitch.
One of those resulted in the try that should have secured a win. Another came after the ball unluckily fell from the tee as he was about to strike a long-range effort while winding down the clock before half-time following a double sin-bin for Ulster.
An unfortunate turn of events didn't dictate the rest of his game when frustration can build and impact on your next actions.
Cooney fought hard afterwards and pressurised Gloucester while pushing them back up the pitch. Those moments are huge for the whole team and he has the ability to bring guys with him throughout a game.
Another effort from distance proved decisive in Munster’s unforeseen win away in Clermont, particularly after going down by two tries early on.
JJ Hanrahan’s long-range penalty was a vital part of the match. Munster were 14-3 down and struggling to come to grips with the Clermont physicality.
Johann van Graan’s side earned a few penalties to stay within touching distance, but the second one could have been a huge turning point.
Hanrahan would have been absolved of blame had he been off-target, a huge kick that needed the far side of the crossbar to convert fully, but the confidence that it gave him and his team around him was crucial.
If the outcome of that kick had been different, Hanrahan may have dropped his head, the visitors might have struggled to get a handle on Clermont and the game could well and truly have been over by half-time.
Instead, Munster tipped away and got something on the board to set up a fascinating second half.
If more games had been called off due to Covid outbreaks across the clubs, we would never have seen the impact of Josh Wycherley on his European debut.
He tackled ferociously and turned around a scrum that was destined to go backwards after the first contest of the game.
Munster’s youngsters are developing a steely edge and having forced their way over the line away in Clermont you have to start believing what the players feel they are building.
Seeing the drama of sport over the weekend hits home just how much of a privilege it is to enjoy these events and how much it means to people. Unfortunately for the players they will have a much different Christmas this year.
Some of them may not be able to travel home due to travel restrictions. All of them will have to be really careful about their social circle and who they are mingling with.
It’s no different to the rest of us in some circumstances but for the players they know that a few suspected cases could put them out of action for a few games as we saw with Exeter and Glasgow.
There’s not much you can do about these outbreaks. It’s a global pandemic and there are going to be outbreaks.
However, for some players and particularly those that are on the fringes of the squad who will be training a lot over Christmas but may not be sure of game time, they will need to limit their movements and probably not have the same social Christmas break as years gone by.
There’ll be no blame attached to any player that does fall ill but if they aren’t conducting themselves in the safest manner it will put their match days in jeopardy.
It’s easy to get carried away when meeting friends and the guidelines and restrictions can become blurred.
We’ve seen it at club level in the AIL and also in the European competitions that one game conceded due to the inability to field a fully healthy team can hinder your chances with qualification.
With the way the pools are in Europe at the moment, you can barely afford to lose a game, home games especially. You’ll then have to go on the road in the hope of claiming maximum points, which is a tough situation to be in.
One of the most difficult things from a player's point of view is having to forego many social situations that they would love to immerse themselves in.
This Christmas will probably be the least social they will have in an effort to create a bit of a bubble, mimicking the national camps across the Autumn Nations Cup.
It won’t be as strict as that because players are at home with their families but I can imagine that limited movements will be encouraged.
At the end of the day, sport is great for the supporters and having something to talk about at the weekend, but it’s much bigger than that too.
They are keeping sport alive, the competitions running and giving us all something to look forward to
Clubs are on the brink of serious financial difficulty which has a knock-on effect on livelihoods.
It’s possibly a sensitive subject around the provinces at the moment considering the delay with contract negotiations, which highlights just how close layoffs could be.
The more games can go ahead, the more the game will survive with TV rights, sponsorships and hopefully then the introduction of crowds so the clubs can make money and thrive again.
The European drama and magic that we witnessed across the weekend is a result of passion and effort from all the players and staff, so much credit must go to tournament orgsnisers for maintaining strict procedures and the discipline to manage this pandemic so well.
They are keeping sport alive, the competitions running and giving us all something to look forward to.
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