FRIDAY’S PLAYER OF the match John Hodnett made more metres — 66 — than anyone else on the pitch during Munster’s impressive victory over the Lions at Musgrave Park but in the end, it was his fellow West Cork man whose burst from outside the 22′ all the way to the house ensured the hosts took maximum points from their meeting with their fellow playoff-chasers.
“He’s rapid,” Hodnett gushed of Liam Coombes, who lit up Leeside in scoring Munster’s late fourth in a 33-3 victory. “It was a savage try, like. He took it very well.
“It was no surprise to any of the lads, anyway — he can do that. His feet are good, he’s rapid. Great try.
“I suppose the main thing was getting a win, anyway. Three games in 11 days was quite tough and our goal was just to do our best and keep improving week on week. I felt we did that.
“Even today, I felt, was another step up again so yeah, delighted.”
There were two especially striking takeaways from Munster’s performance on Friday: firstly, their attack showed more signs of incremental improvement even beneath the relentless, horizontal rain that blew in from The Sunday’s Well end of Muzzer from long before kick-off until the final quarter. Hodnett himself was instrumental not only with his breakdown work and yardage in the carry, but with four successful offloads (joint first in the game with Lions scrum-half Morne van den Berg) which kept the red tide rolling despite the soapy ball.
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Secondly, Munster again finished much the stronger of the two sides in what was otherwise a fairly competitive game, just as they had five days earlier against Ulster when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by way of a composed, high-phase assault in Belfast. All told, these late heaves in Munster’s last two games have been worth an additional four points to them in their playoff pursuit.
John Hodnett made more metres on Friday than any other player on the pitch. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
There is a causal connection between their accuracy and their diligence, Hodnett explained post-match, when asked how Munster so coolly pursued the try-bonus point against the Lions even after botching a gilt-edged opportunity from a five-metre lineout with only minutes remaining.
“We put ourselves under pressure at training and it comes out in the games then like it did tonight,” said the 23-year-old Rosscarbery man.
“We’re putting massive emphasis on our skills. We’re trying to improve them every week and even tonight, now, we managed in those conditions to do quite well. Obviously, there were some mistakes too but I think the intent was there and we executed a lot of it as well in bad conditions.
“There’s great… satisfaction, I suppose, in seeing things come together; things we’re working on in training coming to fruition in the game.
It’s definitely our fitness, like. The way we train this year, there’s massive tempo to it. You’re constantly under pressure, you’re constantly fatigued; you’re out on your feet, like. So, when it comes to a game like this, you’re under pressure, you’re fatigued but you’re used to it — you’ve been doing it all week. That’s how we can keep the cool heads, then: it’s not a shock.
“The fitter you are, you’re not under as much pressure physically and then you have a bit more time to think,” Hodnett added. “You know yourself, when you’re… wrecked, it’s so hard to [remain composed].”
Munster have now taken 20 from the last 25 points available to them in the URC and will carry at least two weeks’ worth of momentum with them into Europe when the Northampton Saints visit Thomond Park next Saturday.
By full-time on Friday, they were up as far as fifth in the league table, albeit several of their playoff rivals were yet to play.
Their temporary position was news to Hodnett, mind, who wasn’t too fussed either way.
“Erra, I suppose we try not to look at the table too much. It’s more just, ‘Are we improving every week? Are we bringing what we’re doing in training into games?’
“If we can look after ourselves, then the table will look after itself, y’know?”
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'The fitter you are, you're not under as much pressure physically and you have more time to think'
LAST UPDATE | 8 Jan 2023
FRIDAY’S PLAYER OF the match John Hodnett made more metres — 66 — than anyone else on the pitch during Munster’s impressive victory over the Lions at Musgrave Park but in the end, it was his fellow West Cork man whose burst from outside the 22′ all the way to the house ensured the hosts took maximum points from their meeting with their fellow playoff-chasers.
“He’s rapid,” Hodnett gushed of Liam Coombes, who lit up Leeside in scoring Munster’s late fourth in a 33-3 victory. “It was a savage try, like. He took it very well.
“It was no surprise to any of the lads, anyway — he can do that. His feet are good, he’s rapid. Great try.
“I suppose the main thing was getting a win, anyway. Three games in 11 days was quite tough and our goal was just to do our best and keep improving week on week. I felt we did that.
“Even today, I felt, was another step up again so yeah, delighted.”
There were two especially striking takeaways from Munster’s performance on Friday: firstly, their attack showed more signs of incremental improvement even beneath the relentless, horizontal rain that blew in from The Sunday’s Well end of Muzzer from long before kick-off until the final quarter. Hodnett himself was instrumental not only with his breakdown work and yardage in the carry, but with four successful offloads (joint first in the game with Lions scrum-half Morne van den Berg) which kept the red tide rolling despite the soapy ball.
Secondly, Munster again finished much the stronger of the two sides in what was otherwise a fairly competitive game, just as they had five days earlier against Ulster when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by way of a composed, high-phase assault in Belfast. All told, these late heaves in Munster’s last two games have been worth an additional four points to them in their playoff pursuit.
There is a causal connection between their accuracy and their diligence, Hodnett explained post-match, when asked how Munster so coolly pursued the try-bonus point against the Lions even after botching a gilt-edged opportunity from a five-metre lineout with only minutes remaining.
“We put ourselves under pressure at training and it comes out in the games then like it did tonight,” said the 23-year-old Rosscarbery man.
“We’re putting massive emphasis on our skills. We’re trying to improve them every week and even tonight, now, we managed in those conditions to do quite well. Obviously, there were some mistakes too but I think the intent was there and we executed a lot of it as well in bad conditions.
“There’s great… satisfaction, I suppose, in seeing things come together; things we’re working on in training coming to fruition in the game.
“The fitter you are, you’re not under as much pressure physically and then you have a bit more time to think,” Hodnett added. “You know yourself, when you’re… wrecked, it’s so hard to [remain composed].”
Munster have now taken 20 from the last 25 points available to them in the URC and will carry at least two weeks’ worth of momentum with them into Europe when the Northampton Saints visit Thomond Park next Saturday.
By full-time on Friday, they were up as far as fifth in the league table, albeit several of their playoff rivals were yet to play.
Their temporary position was news to Hodnett, mind, who wasn’t too fussed either way.
“Erra, I suppose we try not to look at the table too much. It’s more just, ‘Are we improving every week? Are we bringing what we’re doing in training into games?’
“If we can look after ourselves, then the table will look after itself, y’know?”
Get instant updates on your province on The42 app. With Laya Healthcare, official health and wellbeing partner to Leinster, Munster and Connacht Rugby.
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hod's law john hodnett Munster United Rugby Championship URC