Ronan O'Gara returns to Heineken Cup action with Munster at Northampton on Saturday still haunted by his final few minutes for the Lions in the second Test against South Africa, when his missed tackle to allow Jaque Fourie a crucial try was followed by a mistimed challenge that led to a penalty and cost the tourists the match and the series.
O'Gara has twice won the Heineken Cup with Munster and kicked Ireland to the grand slam last season but he admitted that he has had sleepless nights since the Pretoria Test when he came on as a replacement centre after the Lions had lost Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll through injury.
"You strive for four years and put it into practice for four years and then to come down to a pivotal moment like that it's particularly disappointing," the outside-half said on Sky Sports . "There's nights at home where I can't sleep as a result of it but I've had nights like that before and you have to get over it.
"But thinking back it was hard to take and hard to accept. It was such a happy tour, everyone bought in to it and gave it our all and then a few injuries, you come on, you try to make an impact, then you get knocked out, you miss a tackle and then that's the bit that hurts me, the fact that I couldn't even see fully. I tried throwing myself at Jaque Fourie, but he pushed me off and scored."
The Heineken Cup has offered O'Gara redemption in the past, but Munster were well beaten in last season's semi-final by the eventual winners, Leinster, and lost to their Irish rivals heavily last weekend. Munster have been boosted by one of South Africa's centres in the series against the Lions, Jean de Villiers, and European rugby's premier club tournament is always their goal.
"The fact the Irish players are contracted to our union means we are managed well and our interests essentially go from the top down, from internationals to the European Cup and then the Magners League," O'Gara said. "There is something narrow-minded about the way we think in Munster: we are friends as opposed to colleagues and we are passionate to play for the team."
Newport Gwent Dragons have never made the last eight of the Heineken Cup, never mind won it, but they are confident of causing an opening day upset tomorrow when they face troubled Gloucester at Kingsholm. The Cherry and Whites have started the campaign poorly and have already had three players suspended although one of them, the captain, the Wales No8 Gareth Delve, returns tomorrow evening.
"Kingsholm is the best supported, most passionate ground you can go to in England, even if Leicester might argue with that," said the Dragons' head coach, Paul Turner, who used to be part of Gloucester's management team. "We have got to be bold and believe we can go there and win. It is going to be a cauldron, but that should stir the hormones."
Leinster face London Irish in Dublin tomorrow with four of this year's Lions in their starting line-up although a fifth, Rob Kearney, can only make the bench. Irish prefer Chris Malone to Ryan Lamb at outside-half while the England and Lions hooker Lee Mears returns for Bath at Ulster.
