A GLANCE AT the post-match stats often paints a different picture to what a scoreline might suggest. Against Leinster on Saturday, Munster created six clean breaks and finished the 80 minutes with a total of 27 defenders beaten.
On another day, such numbers could lead to a try-fest but instead, Munster found themselves denied by a mix of their own inaccuracies and Leinster’s fierce defensive effort as Graham Rowntree’s men fell to a 26-12 defeat at Croke Park.
The damage was done across Leinster’s ruthless opening to the game, with Leo Cullen’s team taking just 15 minutes to race into a 21-0 lead. Munster were left facing an uphill battle and while they put their shoulder to the wheel, the results were limited. Sean O’Brien finished an excellent strike-play from a first-half lineout before Mike Haley scored their second try after half time, racing on to an opportunistic kick-through from Gavin Coombes.
Munster did piece together plenty of promising attacking passages, but Leinster’s scramble defence and aggression in contact ensured the comeback never looked likely.
“I thought their goal-line defence was particularly good in the first-half,” said Rowntree.
“Their scramble defence is always good, their line speed and scramble defence and goal-line defence. They’re a quality team aren’t they, with a squad stacked full of quality players, and they got the better of us.
But I thought we did the occasion justice. We came here to play, we fired shots, we let ourselves down on occasion with our accuracy but I thought we did the occasion justice. We were ready for this game.”
Calvin Nash thought he had put Munster’s first points on the board in the 25th minute when he stepped Jamison Gibson-Park out wide, only for the score to be crossed off due to a forward pass from Alex Nankivell.
“When I saw that he [referee Chris Busby] said it was forward I couldn’t believe it,” Nash said. “I thought it was a definitely a try but look, it is what it is.”
The winger admitted it was a frustrating experience as Munster’s attacks repeatedly broke down against a stubborn Leinster defensive effort.
“I think we just need to be better there and see what Leinster are going to do. We probably need to scan a bit better and develop our understanding of what defences need to do and where they’re going to be weaker when we make those busts. More of a collective rather than some individuals I suppose.”
Leinster also did a good job of spoiling Munster’s setpiece plans. James Ryan stole two Munster lineouts before Max Deegan added another steal, while Tadhg Furlong got some big shoves going at scrum time.
“You play against the top teams, they make life hard,” Rowntree said.
“That frustrates me, and you go back to the lineout defence, they’ve a very good lineout defence going up in the air. It’s the moments when no-one goes up, or we don’t attend a breakdown when we should be or there’s a pass, a poor pass. They’re the things we need to iron out. That’s all we can get on with.”
Munster’s case wasn’t helped by a damaging early injury toll. As Leinster were busy putting points on the scoreboard, Rowntree lost hooker Niall Scannell and his replacement, Diarmuid Barron, to HIAs, while Jeremy Loughman also had to depart to clean up a blood injury. Replacement prop John Ryan and John Hodnett were also called ashore for HIAs across a bruising encounter.
“You’ve got to roll with the punches. We’re used to that. Lads come off when their mouthguard sensor gets pinged, I can’t change that. You’ve got to deal with that and it’s right that we’re looking after our players like that.
But there was a point in the first half where I had to run down to the side of the field to help manage substitutions because we’d lost two hookers in a matter of minutes, that’s a new one, and Jeremy’s walking off as well.
“We’ll get on with it. We’ve never shied away from poor performances or lack of effort but I was happy with our effort tonight, got to be more accurate.”
Munster will count the bodies and await further updates today as they plan for a two-game tour to South Africa. Aside from the HIAs, Rowntree said the province had no “grave concerns” from the Leinster game ahead of ties against the Stormers and Sharks across the next two weekends.
