O'Connell: Pressure was key

Munster skipper Paul O'Connell has paid tribute to his men after their five try Heineken Cup demolition of Montauban on Sunday.

Munster skipper says hard work ensured quarter final at home

Munster skipper Paul O'Connell has paid tribute to his men after their five try Heineken Cup demolition of Montauban on Sunday. The 39-13 victory at the Stade Sapiac guaranteed the defending champions the sizeable advantage of a home quarter-final against Ospreys. "We were lucky to get the five tries but it's great to have a home quarter-final," said the British Lions and Ireland lock. "We started really well in the first five minutes but then we were shaky for the following 10. "Montauban put us under a lot of pressure around the ruck area and that's something we'll have to look at. "But we battened down the hatches and played really well. We were tight but also went wide when we needed to spread the ball. The game-plan worked really well for us. "We had said we had scored a few soft tries over the last two weeks But they have come through sustained pressure, pressure, pressure. "Sometimes, we always think we have to earn our tries but they have been coming through pressure late in the first half and early in the second. "It was hard for Montauban to keep plugging the gaps and the holes began to appear." O'Connell said it was that high workrate and the constant pressure against the tournament newcomers that were responsible for his side's comfortable win. He added: "Sometimes you score before half-time and you jog into the dressing room and it's not the best thing for the team. "We were in and around the try-line for long periods before the break and I'm sure it will have sapped their energy and taken away some of their legs because it's hard to defend in situations like that. "It is important to score when you're on top and we were disappointed that we didn't score. "But we managed to do so early in the second through Mafi's try."