URC: Connacht 24 Munster 30
This transpired to be an even tougher examination of Munster’s ability and mentality than they could have imagined. In that sense, this third away win of the URC season could prove invaluable preparation for next week’s mouth-watering Champions Cup Round of 16 tie hosted by some bloke called Ronan O’Gara.
Ahead of their first trek to La Rochelle, this first visit to MacHale Park to face Connacht included adapting to playing with 14 men for 55 minutes, and more than 10 of those with just 13.
What made this deserved win even more merited was that Munster did so without their defensive leader Alex Nankivell after his 25th minute red card for a careless clear-out, hitting Cian Prendergast’s head with his shoulder.
The likelihood is Munster’s influential Kiwi centre will be suspended by a disciplinary hearing this week, in which case his physicality will be missed next Saturday.
Have the Lions left Ireland in the lurch?
True, La Rochelle’s winless run was extended to eight games by Saturday’s 33-19 loss away to Clermont, leaving them 10th in the Top 14, four points off the top six. But Munster interim head coach Ian Costello expects O’Gara and La Rochelle to throw their eggs into the competition they retained the season before last.
“They’ll probably look at this as a fresh opportunity, as two-time champions, the pedigree they have.
“They’ll fancy that, and they’re at home, but we won’t take a backward step. We’ll prepare really well. It was really, really important we got a result here today, but the fact we got a result and a really good performance will give us confidence going over.
“We know it’s a massive challenge, but I think there will be a lot of confidence and belief on the back of today.”
Much like the La Rochelle game, Munster’s incoming head coach Clayton MacMillan stayed in the background while visiting last week. Instead, all their focus was on this historic occasion in Castlebar, not least given its importance in the URC play-off picture.
“This game was everything because of where we are in the league, and when we saw the other results this became a cup final,” said Costello.
Completing a 10-point haul from two narrow, high-scoring wins over Connacht has elevated Munster to fifth. Granted, they are only six points clear of the western province who sit 13th, but Leinster’s win away to the Sharks has moved the reds to within six points of the top four and a potential home quarter-final.
A key point of difference was the superior kicking game and game management of Munster’s halfbacks Craig Casey and Jack Crowley, who varied his kicking, passing and running, and also tackled bravely. Costello hailed their control and composure.
“Jack was just so composed the whole way through in terms of line breaks, his passing range, his kicking range, but he just brings confidence to everyone around him.
“And then Craig had that balance of energy and composure as well. I think we’ve all seen enough games to know how important your game drivers are. I thought our game-drivers were excellent today.”
Crowley has been offered a considerably more remunerative contract by Leicester Tigers, but Costello speculated, cautiously, that his outhalf would stay put: “Confident but until things are official and done.”
Fittingly, Crowley kicked the ball dead at the end from a pass by Conor Murray, making his 200th Munster appearance.
At the final whistle, Munster finished with 55 per cent of the possession and 61 per cent of the territory. Nankivel’s departure may have restricted their attack but they largely controlled the game for the guts of an hour, augmenting well-worked tries for Tom Ahern and Casey with a couple of power plays to move 30-12 ahead.
Then, with Crowley in his pomp, they kept Connacht at arm’s length while down to 13 men before the home side brought the crowd to life with some wondrous attacking rugby, Munster ultimately indebted to Jean Kleyn marking his timely return with a lineout steal in the game’s final play.
“Probably the highest I ever saw him jump,” quipped Costello of Kleyn’s steal. “And hopefully we’ve a couple more coming back next week and we’ll probably have to adapt again with a few bumps and bruises.”
John Hodnett could recover from the dead leg that forced his departure, while Thaakir Abrahams and Jack O’Donoghue are back training, and Peter O’Mahony should also return.
In his final season, O’Mahony imparted his knowledge alongside the Munster coaches, a role Costello would like to see the former captain step further into down the line.
“Long-term, not the short-term anyway. I think he’ll keep away from it for a little while, but he’s got so much to give. Whether it’s as a mentor, or as a technical coach – he’s just a giant of the game and at some point I’d hope he’ll give something back to the game, particularly back at Munster, and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t.”
Far from rushing the 35-year-old straight out of the dressingroom and into the coaching box, Costello added: “But I think he definitely needs some time away.”
SCORING SEQUENCE – 7 mins: Crowley pen 0-3; 12: Ahern try 0-8; 20: Jansen try 5-8; 23: Casey try, Crowley con 5-15; 39: Crowley pen 5-18; Half-time 5-18; 45: Blade try, Ioane con 12-18; 51: Crowley try, con 12-25; 59: Barron try 12-30; 62: Jansen try, Hanrahan con 19-30; 73: Ioane try 24-30
CONNACHT: M Hansen; C Mullins, H Gavin, B Aki, F Treacy; J Ioane, C Blade; J Duggan, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Joyce, D Murray; C Prendergast (capt), S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen.
Replacements: S Cordero for Mullins (5 mins), J Murphy for Prendergast (26), M Devine for Blade, JJ Hanrahan for Cordero (both 54), P Boyle for Joyce, J Aungier for Bealham, D Buckley for Duggan (all 57), D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan (60).
MUNSTER: B O’Connor; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, S O’Brien; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, D Barron, O Jager; F Wycherley, T Beirne (capt); T Ahern, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements: A Kendellen for Hodnett (23 mins), J Kleyn for Wycherley, S Archer for Jager (both 56), Wycherley for Loughman, N Scannell for Barron (both 61), C Murray for Casey, R Quinn for Kendellen (both 67).
Red card: Nankivell (25 mins).
Yellow card: Beirne (61 mins), Scannell (78).
Referee: C Evans (Wales).
