MUNSTER WERE BEATEN 24-7 by Leinster at Thomond Park.
Read our full match report here.
Internationals turn up for Leinster
It’s been a frustrating couple of months for Leinster supporters, watching on as high-class players deliver poor performances. The deepest frustration has been that we all know Leinster are capable of so much more than they showed in the Bath, Wasps and Toulon defeats.
Leo Cullen has been waiting for his big leaders to step up, and that finally happened at Thomond Park this evening. Sean O’Brien returned from injury superbly, while Jamie Heaslip was excellent alongside him in the back row.
With Johnny Sexton given the weekend off, Ian Madigan was brilliant at out-half, while South African international Zane Kirchner gave his best display in recent memory at fullback.
In the front row, Sean Cronin was more aggressive than he has been in some time, while Devin Toner was solid in the engine room. When Leinster’s undoubtedly excellent players turn up in strong form, they are a hugely dangerous, efficient team.
Cullen will hope the standard set this evening continues all the way to a Pro12 final victory in 2016.
Munster wasteful
Munster dominated the possession stakes – their share was greater than 60% – but they were once again totally wasteful in their use of the ball. Again, the build-up play was sharp at times but they coughed the ball up in the opposition 22.
It’s becoming a major issue for Munster, and although they did burst over for a try through Robin Copeland, they dropped passes and failed to hit rucks more often. Even the maul, previously so dangerous, is becoming impotent for Munster.
Their protestations that they are close to ripping a team apart are likely to continue, and can possibly be justified in the thinking behind their attack, but the Munster players are failing to deliver on the ideas.
Munster’s halfback problems
With Ian Keatley removed from the firing line after his poor recent form and Conor Murray missing out due to a hip injury, Tomás O’Leary and Tyler Bleyendaal were called on to provide direction for Munster in the halfback positions.
Unfortunately, their performances provided precisely the opposite. O’Leary’s passing was slow and inaccurate, while his decision-making was also ponderous, often stymieing promising attack from Munster.
Bleyendaal, meanwhile, didn’t appear to be fully match fit. He appeared to be heavily reluctant to kick the ball or carry into contact, instead preferring to meander laterally before hitting his forwards or sending the ball wide.
The Kiwi is a hugely talented player and deserves time, of course, but Ian Madigan opposite him was altogether more composed. The Leinster man strutted around Thomond Park, fixing defenders, passing well, and kicking superbly from both hand and tee.
At scrum-half, Eoin Reddan provided crisp, accurate service to ensure that Leinster were totally dominant in the halfback battle.
Garry Ringrose
The youngest player on the pitch, but easily one of the most composed and impressive. 20-year-old Garry Ringrose has been battling hard for a start in Leinster’s 13 shirt in a game of this importance and he delivered superbly when finally given the chance.
His calm on the ball was startling, although that sense of ease and comfort did not affect the former Blackrock College man’s impact. His burst of pace outside Dave Foley, the swerve back inside Jack O’Donoghue and the coolness to find Isa Nacewa with a simple pass for Leinster’s first try was reminiscent of Ireland’s greatest centre ever.
There was one sharp, accurate offload from Ringrose, as well as several further intelligent touches. Defensively, the youngster did his job without any fuss. A special player.
Earls concern
It was truly worrying to see Keith Earls treated for some minutes in the first-half after he sustained a blow to the head. The injury occurred as the Limerick man made a dashing half break and offloaded to Francis Saili, Luke Fitzgerald doing just enough to haul Earls down.
The game was halted and a hush fell on Thomond Park, as Munster’s medical team carefully treated Earls. Fitzgerald came across to check on his friend’s health, a nice touch from a player who knows all about injury problems.
The hope is that this is not another damaging concussion for Earls, who has suffered heavily in that department in recent times. The whole Irish rugby community will have their fingers crossed for the Munster wing.
Cian Healy limping off near the end provides another injury worry for Joe Schmidt.
Must be frustrating for Saili to break a tackle, look for the offload and see no one on his shoulder.
He’s the only player in the entire team who can create something. I’m glad he’s on a two year deal, because he’d be gone in a heartbeat if he wasn’t.
I’d say Zebo and Earls and even Scannel where quite creative at times, instead of training this week they should just have 15 on 15 matches against each other a teach the team how to finish chances, Leinster chances where few and far between yet they scored 3 tries whilst Munster had at least made double figures worth of chances and scored only 1!
Every match
I remember the exact same thing happening with Casey Lualala, always making breaks looking for the offload and no one there to take the offload.
Well there you have it. I got slated for saying TOL was a mistake in re-hiring and guess what???
Sheridan should have had more games. How the hell is TOL starting ahead of him??
And to be honest, Axel not having a post match presser says it all. The media will exploit this and he’ll demand an apology. The Irish Van Gaal.
Yep, Munster are definitely winning games the wouldn’t have last year.
*they.
Well, maybe we would, Sam, but we have coaches who are clearly out of their depth.
Who slated you for saying TOL was a poor signing? not one person I heard from, read about or spoke to saw any sense in signing him. Have Duncan Williams and TOL as back up scrum halves is absolute mind boggling.
There is a difference, Anthony Foley despite the results has passion, Van Gal is just a clown.
Tol couldn’t get a match with London Irish
A passionate dream …. We need reality
Earls has no luck at all injury after injury, cj stander was brilliant again today as always he definitely deserves a call up to the Irish squad
If he fell into a barrell full of tits, he’d come up sucking his own thumb.
CJ and SOB can’t wait!!
Starting to get worried about Rochelle and Eoghan O Sullivan usually so much more vocal on all things Leinster
Rochelle is outside Thomond protesting against Foley.
Even for a troll, Rochelle will be too embarrassed to come on here after the dribble being spouted in the last week or so. Eoghan has Junior Cert exams to concentrate on so he can’t quite dedicate himself to stirring it up…
Piece of piss. Pretty disappointed we didn’t get the bonus point, but hopefully we’ll improve for next week – we’d want to – If you want to top the league you should be getting max points against teams like Zebre, Munster and Treviso.
Hello Leinster worse in the euro cup and worse record in league….a swallow doesn’t make a summer pussy lips
Keep up that whit Maire and you might get a job polishing Leinsters 3 European Cups and 4 League trophies. Certainly not much work for a cleaner in the Munster trophy room.
Munster aren’t a serious team now. They were last taken seriously in May 2009
Munster are so predictable, no creativity, no spark out wide and very little desire up front in the absence of O’ Mahony. Munster cry out for direction from a world class coach – their first choice back line is enviable, but lack the systems necessary to win matches. Foley was a wonderful player but a rash appointment as head coach.
Munster supporters have been let down by the IRFU and the Munster Branch
Munster has turned into the blind leading the blind.
Adam , where do you think the IRFU is based ?
Munster incompetent yet again…Munster fans can only take so much disappointment..Coaching team days are numbered if Foley and Co get new contracts the fans will leave and who can blame them
100% agree, Fans can only take so much disappointment. It is getting to breaking point. Personally I don’t mind losing if an effort is made and attacking intend is in existence but that doesn’t even seem to cross anyone’s mind. Can the senior members of the Munster branch please recognise the disgust with Munster fans of present
Even the Leinster supporters have pity for us! No supporting players for ball carrier, rucks a disaster, scrum halves on a go-slow, scrums and line outs barely functioning. The team like their mentors – Foley, O Driscoll and Flannery – have just no spark. Sad, just so sad and the ref was the pits
I completely agree about Garry Ringrose, the creation of that first try the way he ran reminded me so much of O’Driscoll, He has got to be named in Joe Schmidt’s 6N squad and its mouth watering to think about having a partnership of Henshaw and Ringrose. Despite how underwhelming all the provinces bar Connacht and some patches with Ulster we have found some real gems in the 6N have a back row of O’Brian-Stander-Heaslip or O’Brian-Henry-Stander or something like that and boy could be do some damage, baring a recall of Steffon Armitage for England I think we could have a pretty dominant back row in the 6N and if we have a centre partnership like I said above then boy we could have another 6N as people forget we can make history of being the first team to win 3 on the bounce we just need to integrate Ringrose and Stander and a few other lads while they are still sort of under the radar by the other European rugby fans.
Yeap and throw in Ruddock and a fit O’Mahony too and that is some depth in backrow for us.
Id definatly have O’Mahony in there as well but he is injured :(, Ruddock is also a great player, you would have to say Ireland have the best depth in terms of back row in Europe, what we still need to sort out most of all is Centre as I feel everything else is more or less sorted (so long as Sexton finds a bit of form!)
Hmmm, think mccloskey and luke Marshall have done far more to merit a call up than ringrose. Not saying he shouldn’t be called up as I think he is class, but others have been playing at a consistently high level up north. Some of the Connacht forwards such as masterson are pretty deserving too.
Don’t forget Josh van set Flier too
I agree on them especially Marshall having already experience with Ireland I think he is higher up the pecking order but from what I saw from Ringrose tonight he has to be in contention at least!
Agree with that. If Ringrose is named in the 6N squad it should be from the bench for impact.
We are short on top second rows
Converting Ruddock (6 4 ) maybe a viable option
New coaching team required but Leinster the priority for IRFU
Huh?
Muns7er Lein2t4r
Ringrose has the unhurried pragmatism we haven’t seen in a midfielder for a while.
Irrational and purely pie eyed to expect too much of him.
Elevation to an extended Irish training squad a bonus for now to be observed at close quarter.
No more.
The boy needs bulk.
Connacht and Ulster should make up the majority of the 6 nations squad, two very poor teams slugging it out last night
…reality check …Leinster created three chances …the first after a horrible turnover by O’Leary & the last after a tired pass by Sailli which was a desperate attempt to save a bonus point after 2/3 kick-able penalties were wasted earlier …no great sign of massive dominance there by the blues , but definitely more efficient …as for Munster whoevever is coaching attacking moves needs to go back to Q school as the Munster forwards must have been sick of carrying the ball into Leinster territory & either turning it over softly in an attempt to release those backs but all to no avail …time to look for help Anthony or step off the stage …
Munster are capable of so much more! It’s not a massive panic, they just need to do simple things well! Ruck faster, quicker passing, kicking points. O’connells leadership is missed, he would stand for such a drop in standards. Players need to front up more too
This doesn’t exactly read like the game, plenty of comment bait in there, look forward to the analysis of how bad We wer tho