The Munster captain, Peter O’Mahony, fought back the tears in paying tribute to Anthony Foley, one of his childhood heroes, at an emotional press conference that followed confirmation the European Champions Cup match with Glasgow will go ahead on Saturday.
O’Mahony and the director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, spoke glowingly of Foley, who died at the team hotel in Paris on Sunday, aged 42, but were visibly haunted by the loss of their head coach that has shaken the rugby world.
The scheduled match against Racing 92 on Sunday was postponed and Saturday’s fixture was in doubt but Erasmus said the decision to go ahead was taken to offer the chance to pay tribute to Foley, who captained Munster to Heineken Cup glory in 2006 and became head coach in 2014.
“It’s a tough choice. It’s not easy either way but we don’t want to miss this opportunity,” he said. “As difficult as it will be to play the next game no matter the time, the opposition or the venue, we have an opportunity to play there this Saturday. That’s something that’s hugely important to all of us.
“He would never want us to say that the game is secondary, it’s just not the man he was, but it will be. Although an Irish and Munster rugby hero and a great friend of ours, this time it’s about a husband, father, son and brother and a fallen friend. Let us not forget that.”
A French coroner said on Tuesday that Foley died due to a heart condition which led to a buildup of fluid in his lungs. Munster’s sense of loss is all the more acute Foley was such a cornerstone of the province. Growing up in Killaloe in County Clare, where his funeral will be held on Friday, Foley spent 13 years as a Munster player and was captain when the club were the leading lights in Europe before assuming backroom roles from 2009.
Traditionally Thomond Park is as atmospheric as rugby grounds come - the “Red Army” in full voice can stir something in even the most flint-hearted – and Saturday’s goodbye will be raw with emotion. “Playing in Thomond Park further ties us to his memory and will be a chance for all, including our supporters and the community, to feel that connection and closeness to him at this time,” Erasmus said.
O’Mahony, like Foley a flanker, fondly recalled his first match under the stewardship of “Axel” – an under-20s contest that Munster won 3-0, saying that his coach was just as happy as had it been a 60-point victory, during a tearful tribute. “I’m not going to do him justice here, personally he meant a huge amount,” he said. “I haven’t supported a Munster team that he wasn’t involved in. The amount he’s given the club, I can’t put that into words.”
