Sporting 'hatred' spices up Munster-Glasgow URC semi-final showdown

The fictional crime-fighter Detective Jerry Lynch said: "Hate your opponent, hate him, and you'll never give less than 100%."

Colm Meaney’s character in Intermission wasn’t referring to rugby rivalry – his immediate opponent was anyone who failed to share his appreciation of 'Celtic mysticism’ music, but his "philosophy" rings true, and it informs the narrative for the second of today’s BKT United Rugby Championship semi-finals (6pm).

No one is quite sure when exactly the Munster-Glasgow 'hatred’ began but Fraser Brown reckons the Irish side took exception to a 51-24 trimming in Scotstoun in 2013.

At that point, Munster, with Ronan O’Gara and Paul O’Connell in harness, were still clinging on to the tail end of the glory days, five years after their last Heineken Cup win and two seasons since ruling the Pro12 roost.

"It was an embarrassment for Munster...and it has become the foundation for the great rivalry," former Glasgow and Scotland hooker Brown wrote in The Scotsman this week.

Speaking on the BBC, Fraser recalled an incident between O’Gara and Glasgow lock Ali Kellock around the 2013-14 season when the referee had cause to chat to the pair.

"The referee says something like, you are both experienced internationals, you are both captains of your club, and O’Gara turned around and said, ‘well, I am but I’ve no idea who this guy is’," said Fraser.

"And that [vibe] just started to seep into it."

Two years later the sides met in a Pro12 final in Belfast and a Munster outfit with O’Connell, in his last game for the province, CJ Stander, Simon Zebo and Keith Earls were no match for the Warriors as they claimed their one and only title of the professional era.

With Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and DTH van der Merwe lighting up