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Graham Rowntree, Munster head coach. Dan Sheridan/INPHO

Graham Rowntree: 'I'm not going to sugar coat it. That wasn't us, we have to do better'

Munster head coach says if you ‘lose collisions both side of the ball, you’re going to lose the game’.

MUNSTER HEAD COACH Graham Rowntree says they will park the ramifications of their disappointing 38-26 loss at home to Glasgow Warriors and turn their full attention to their Champions Cup showdown with the Sharks in Durban next weekend.

It will be the first of two trips to South Africa in April and Rowntree’s men will have ground to make up when they return for a double URC date with the Stormers and the Sharks in a few weeks.

Their hopes of a home league quarter-final are now in jeopardy following this drubbing, and while salvaging a later try bonus point could be crucial, Rowntree is now dwelling on the cost of this loss.

“I can’t think about that, I have to think about the next game, to try get a squad together now to submit to the airline tonight, to get on a flight Tuesday night to Durban for a European game.

“The connotations of the league, we’ll deal with that later. The next game is all I’m worried about. We need to get Monday right, get this week right, get a squad right and prepared for this next game.

“As we said at half time, it’s a beautifully simple game, you lose collisions both side of the ball, you’re going to lose the game. 

“We were better in the second half in that regard, but collisions, and our inaccuracy when we got near their tryline. It wasn’t us, it wasn’t us.”

The manner of the defeat will see them head to South Africa with a lot to ponder after an upward curve in their performances and results since November and Rowntree was first to admit it was a flat display.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it, I didn’t sugar coat it to the lads at half-time or after. That wasn’t us, we have to do better than that,” added Rowntree.

“They were stopping our ball-carry, and we weren’t stopping theirs. We were giving them a few freebies, penalties off the scrum, going to the corner, and they scored off them.”

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