MUNSTER BOSS GRAHAM Rowntree has his first landmark win on the road.
The southern province had already enjoyed a couple of good victories away from home this season against Edinburgh, Northampton, and Ulster, but last weekend was another step up.
Munster downed the strongly-fancied Stormers, the reigning URC champions who were at home in Cape Town with their first-choice team and very much in need of a win. This was big boy stuff from Rowntree’s side.
There was lots to like about their much-improved performance, including a superb start and some excellent maul work, but perhaps most pleasing was the way Munster performed in the third quarter of the game. They completely collapsed in the third quarter of their Champions Cup exit at the hands of the Sharks three weekends ago, so it was always going to be intriguing to see how this part of last weekend’s game went.
It was all the more vital given the Stormers had scored just before half time to level the game at 12-12. It’s always a big psychological win to finish the first half in that manner, but Munster bounced back to win the third quarter.
Initially, it looked like there was another unravelling on the way after half time as the otherwise brilliant RG Snyman dropped the restart and Munster swiftly gave up a scrum penalty, their only such penalty in this game.
The Stormers should have taken the lead but out-half Manie Libbok missed a straightforward kick from that penalty.
It is important to note how poor Libbok’s place-kicking was last weekend. He was successful with only two of his seven shots at goal and that was obviously a factor in Munster winning.
The Irish province took full advantage of Libbok’s off-day though and in this instance, flanker Alex Kendellen cleverly calls the mark as he fields the ball under pressure from Ben-Jason Dixon. It’s calm stuff from Kendellen in a stressful situation and an example of Munster’s poise in Cape Town.
They need plenty more composure in the minutes that follow as the Stormers pile on more pressure, starting directly from the next lineout after Jack Crowley clears from Kendellen’s mark.
It’s right wing Calvin Nash who makes a try-saving tackle on opposite number Suleiman Hartzenberg below.
Nash starts this passage near Munster’s right-hand 15-metre line as he initially provides cover in behind the lineout.
But as the Stormers shift the ball to the other side of the pitch, Nash works hard in behind the defence to cover the last attacker.
That becomes an urgent job as Libbok’s long pass beats Munster left wing Shane Daly and sends Stormers fullback Damian Willemse running into space, drawing in opposite number Mike Haley [red below].
Nash does an excellent job of managing the one-on-one situation, initially sprinting hard to make up ground towards Hartzenburg, then slowing his feet slightly so as not to give the Stormers wing an easy chance to beat him with a step back on the inside.
But Nash doesn’t slow up too heavily or plant his feet to leave himself vulnerable on the outside either.
He shows Hartzenburg that space along the touchline, aware that he can then try to force him off the field of play, accelerates again, stretching out to grab at Hartzenburg’s left thigh and drag him out into touch. It’s a massive bit of last-ditch defending.
Unfortunately for Munster, penalty advantage was playing, so the Stormers kick into the left corner for a maul try chance. This is where Peter O’Mahony comes up with the goods.
O’Mahony’s class as a lineout defender is well-known and this is just the latest example of his ability to come up with pivotal steals.
Marvin Orie is the Stormers’ lineout caller and Munster sense that the Springboks lock will call this crucial one onto himself, as he does.
O’Mahony is a great reader of the game and we see as much here but it’s a collective effort from Munster, who don’t directly mark up to the Stormers’ 1-3-2 formation in the lineout. As we can see below, Munster are set up in more of a 4-2 formation, with the front of the defensive lineout stacked.
Initially, O’Mahony seems to be using his peripheral vision to track where Orie [red below] is, as well as Ruben van Heerden [yellow] just in front of Orie.
But also note how Jean Kleyn [green below], in front of O’Mahony, is intently watching Orie’s actions.
Van Heerden is a possible jumper here, with Steven Kitshoff coming from the front to lift as Orie lifts from the back, but O’Mahony and Munster clearly believe that Orie will call the throw to himself, perhaps based on their analysis of the Stormers’ lineout.
So as Orie edges forward, Kleyn reacts to that by stepping towards the touchline, with O’Mahony simultaneously edging in that direction. Munster don’t buy the dummy lift by van Heerden at the front of Orie [yellow below].
O’Mahony is also eyeing Kitshoff [pink above] making his move from the five-metre line towards Orie, reading that the Springboks prop is going to lift Orie at the front.
That means that O’Mahony gets off the ground in the split second after Orie has jumped and with Joseph Dweba’s throw into the lineout slightly too low, O’Mahony is able to pick it off clean.
While Kleyn lifts at the front, we must also note the work of Gavin Coombes [blue below] as the back lifter.
There is always the possibility that the Stormers throw to the tail here, meaning Coombes would be needed as a front lifter on Snyman if Munster decide to go up and compete there, so Coombes has to read and react to this entire situation too.
Collectively, there’s an element of risk involved for Munster. They went up in similar fashion against the Sharks, didn’t win the ball, and conceded the maul try. There’s always a big decision to be made around going for the steal or setting a strong maul defence, but this one comes up trumps for Rowntree’s men.
Still, the pressure comes. Munster clear their lines but Daly is pinged for a tackle off the ball as the South Africans threaten with ball in hand. And so, two minutes after O’Mahony’s steal, Munster are defending another close-range lineout.
This time, the hosts throw towards the tail and Munster can’t get up to compete, so it’s time for a key moment of maul defence. Initially, there’s good work from Snyman, who uses his long arms to target the ball.
Snyman stretches through as Orie comes to ground to transfer the ball to flanker Willie Englebrecht.
Snyman manages to wrestle in behind Orie and eventually gets into the position below, where he’s hovering over the ball beneath.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Loughman and Jean Kleyn have targeted the two Stormers lifters, van Heerden at the front of Orie and Dixon at the rear.
As indicated below, Kleyn [white] drives in on van Heerden as Loughman [yellow] does the same on Dixon.
That obviously destabilises both Stormers men, whose job it is to ‘brace’ at the front of the maul and provide a strong front edge for those behind to drive forward.
With Orie also doing his best to fight off Snyman, there’s a major struggle for that Stormers trio at the front, while the work of Loughman and Kleyn has also helped to trap the ball in Englebrecht’s hands.
As Stormers hooker Dweba arrives at the back of the maul, we can see him digging in to try and take the ball from Engelbrecht but it’s now caught up in the mass of bodies.
The vast majority of the time, attacking sides want the ball at the tail of the maul as soon as possible so this isn’t ideal for the Stormers.
Meanwhile, up at the front of the maul, they’re also in trouble.
With Munster tighthead Stephen Archer having engaged, as well as O’Mahony re-engaging, Munster manage to squeeze Dixon completely out of the maul and onto the ground.
As we see below, Dixon then trips Archer and the whole maul comes toppling down.
The ball is caught up in the maul, but watch what Coombes does next.
Rather than simply falling with the maul, he bounces straight back up and ferrets his way in towards the ball, burrowing under Orie and grappling it out of Englebrecht’s hands.
Coombes strips the ball clear of Englebrecht and his next action is very clever.
Rather than flopping back over his own tryline, either giving up a five-metre scrum to the Stormers or even allowing them to come forward given that the offside line would no longer be there, watch how Coombes makes sure to stay infield.
Conor Murray and Loughman set up over what is now the breakdown, while Kendellen recognises the danger in the situation. Watch how Kendellen drives in to shift Coombes slightly further upfield, away from the tryline.
It’s a huge maul turnover but Munster are now left in a tough spot just inches from their own line.
O’Mahony comes up with another big play to allow them to clear safely.
O’Mahony scoops the ball and beats Orie at the fringe, with Kleyn latching on powerfully to drive him all the way up to Munster’s five-metre line. There is danger of Kleyn being pinged for going off his feet as the latcher but it’s not called here.
It’s a crucial carry as it gives Murray the space to kick to touch.
Of course, that means more defending but again, Munster force a turnover.
Stormers scrum-half Paul de Wet attempts an ambitious offload on seventh phase after some outstanding Munster defence and it’s Coombes who reacts quickest to force a knock-on from Libbok.
Out-half Crowley clears again but the ball doesn’t reach the touchline, meaning another defensive set straight away.
Once again, Munster are up to the task.
Crowley himself makes a good tackle on Willemse and though the Stormers fullback offloads, Munster make the turnover on the next phase.
Hooker Diarmuid Barron drops in low to bring van Heerden to ground and Coombes, having assisted in the tackle, shows a clear release before immediately snapping over the ball for a jackal turnover.
Having demonstrated his speed to get on the ball, Coombes then demonstrates his strength to stay rock solid over the ball as Evan Roos and Dweba attempt to clear him off it.
After a full nine minutes of intense pressure, Munster have lifted the siege.
They kick into the Stormers half. Munster’s first-phase strike off the ensuing lineout is excellent as they send Daly hurtling into the 22 but then there’s an error as Murray passes into touch in front of Haley on the left.
They get another lineout attack after the Stormers clear but Crowley is picked off by opposite number Libbok and it takes a brilliant tackle from Kleyn to prevent a breakaway score.
With the entire Munster team up in the line attacking, it’s a vital tackle from Kleyn to stop Libbok from accelerating clear. Munster literally cling on.
Rowntree’s men attack again soon after but the Stormers defence holds Snyman up for a turnover scrum. The Munster boss sends Ben Healy into the fray and the Scotland out-half’s first involvement is an important one.
Amidst an exchange of kicks, Libbok delivers this fine effort as he finds grass in between Munster’s backfield defenders, seemingly putting the Stormers at advantage in the kick battle.
But Healy responds with an absolute thunderbastard of a spiral kick deep into the Stormers’ half.
Watch how Stormers wing Seabelo Senatla has to turn and retreat in order to field Healy’s monster kick.
With little other option, the Stormers now have to kick to touch and while Willemse hits the halfway line with his clearance, it’s still a big win for Munster in the kick battle.
Remember that this game wasn’t played at altitude. Healy just has a massive and skillful boot. This kick is pivotal because Munster score directly from the lineout. The set-piece itself is a thing of beauty.
Second row Fineen Wycherley has come on to cover Jean Kleyn’s blood injury and he assumes lineout leadership.
In this case, he gives the most subtle flick of the head to hooker Barron, indicating for Barron to throw beyond him to O’Mahony.
Wycherley recognises that van Heerden is set up to jump directly against him, so he triggers the throw to O’Mahony just behind.
Wycherley turns to lift O’Mahony at the front while Coombes lifts at the back.
Munster get a stunning full extension in the jump, with both lifters getting maximum height and the fully-stretched O’Mahony winning the ball ‘double tops’ with both hands lifted over his head.
The picture below is a beautiful one for lineout lovers.
The throw from Barron is sublime too. Any lower and van Heerden is within reach.
The fact that van Heerden has competed means the Stormers aren’t set to defend the maul as Munster snap into cohesive, low shape and instantly get moving forward, Wycherley screaming, “Go, go, go.”
There’s nothing like early momentum in the maul and as Munster canter forward, Roos can’t resist changing his bind, giving up penalty advantage in the process. Munster take, well, full advantage as they trundle another five metres before playing off the maul.
The advantage means Munster can really push things on this attack and Healy has no worries about a possible intercept as he lasers his pass across the face of Stormers centre Ruhan Nel and wing Hartzenburg to send Haley scorching into space.
It’s a beautiful pass from Healy out the back of Malakai Fekitoa’s short pullback pass.
Haley is then able to draw up fullback Willemse to free Daly.
Daly’s finish is confident as he slightly slows up the covering Senatla with a goose step before showing good balance through the tackle to dot down.
Healy puts the icing on this cake with a brilliant touchline conversion despite being told by the referee that he only has a few seconds left on the shot clock.
It all means Munster are 19-12 in front after a third quarter in which the game could have slipped from their grasp. Rowntree’s side never gave up the lead from there.
The contrast to their European hammering by the Sharks in Durban could barely be greater.
That day, Munster conceded 26 points in the third quarter and scored none. It was game over.
This Saturday, Rowntree’s men face the Sharks in Durban once again with Champions Cup qualification for next season potentially on the line.
Having steadied the ship against the Stormers, Munster must back it up by proving a point against the Sharks.
