Friday night’s trip to an Ulster side still hurting from their European heartbreak has been enough to focus Munster’s minds after their European heroics. Stephen Archer has been around the Munster set-up long enough to know that while last Saturday’s Champions Cup win over Exeter was remarkable, they won’t be long being taken down a peg if they take their eye off the ball.
But a trip to Belfast, where they have not won since 2016, has focused their minds, not least as Ulster is ahead of them in the top four, and the chasing pack is hot on Munster’s heels heading into the last three games before the URC knockout stages. It was easier to return to training in Limerick on the back of the superb Champions Cup win on Tuesday.
Archer, who made the first of his 245 appearances for his native province way back in October 2009, relishes every minute. They will have another big Saturday 3 pm kick-off to look forward to on May 7 at the Aviva Stadium when Champions Cup holders Toulouse arrives for a quarter-final showdown. Still, Archer’s full attention is on Ulster on Friday night for now.
