Sean Farrell reports from Thomond Park
HE ARRIVED IN Munster a fully-formed star of European Rugby and a nominee for the Champions Cup’s player of the year.
It scarcely seemed plausible that Tadhg Beirne’s influence would grow.
Yet rather than succumb or to any potential settling-in period that can slow down so many rising stars, the second row continues to deliver supreme performance levels when his team most needs him.
The sight of Beirne grimacing and clutching his knee was the greatest shame arising from a gripping 9-7 win over the Exeter Chiefs which sealed Munster’s passage to the knockout rounds.
He got up and hobbled on, across the pitch and then back, where the crowd greeted him with a standing ovation on his way to the replacements bench.
Post-match was far too early for a prognosis on the knee injury, but the Kildare man will undergo a scan to learn how much of a role he can play for Ireland in the imminent Six Nations.
“I think Tadhg’s a special player,” said Johann van Graan post-match.
“He’s had a few man of the match performances in this competition. He’s very dynamic and he’s one of the only locks in world rugby who can poach the way he can.”
That poach threat was invaluable for Munster and few interventions were more important than the 30th minute penalty he forced 10 metres out from his own posts when the Chiefs sought to turn the screw.
“He’s worked so hard on his calling,” Van Graan adds after Beirne led tonight’s line-out.
“When he arrived he wasn’t really a calling option, I threw him into the deep end… I think he’s developed into one of the form locks in the competition.”
It was a night when Munster needed their big men to rise to the occasion and the pack duly stepped forward.
Beirne did not even reach the touchline when his replacement Billy Holland brilliantly pilfered an Exeter attacking line-out on his five metre line. Jean Kleyn forced an important turnover after his fellow starting lock departed and CJ Stander ended up with the rare sight of twice as many tackles (21) as carries (10) completed on his stats sheet.
It was that sort of night for Munster. Exeter have a way of making errors an inescapable part of their opponent’s game, but with Peter O’Mahony powering through last week’s rib cartilage injury to add 16 tackles – including the final coup de grace – to the cause, Munster once again found a way to win.
“It was definitely the toughest game of rugby since I came to Munster,” adds Van Graan after taking top spot in his first full pool campaign.
“Two teams who didn’t want to give up. If you get only one score in the second half, when games (usually) open up, it shows you how intense it was.
“It won’t go down as the prettiest game of rugby… we open up our eyes tomorrow morning and we’re in a quarter-final, that’s the main thing.”
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When leo is acknowledging that Rob is not a good tackler the Leinster fans who see no wrong with rob are going to have to change their tune. It’s been a flaw of his for a long time and plenty of clips back it up.
@Bungee Aky: https://youtu.be/guecs1gwzC4
@Bungee Aky: where did Leo say that?
@John Molloy: he didnt. Its just Bungee spoofing again
@Ger: he didn’t outright say it, he defended robs poor defensive performance by saying he shouldn’t be in a position here he has to make a last line of defense tackle. He is hardly going to acknowledge the biggest weakness of one of his most senior players
@Bungee Aky: And you got from that that Leo thinks he is a poor tackler… Absolute rubbish
@Luke walkee: not I got it first from watching him miss most one on one tackles over the years. Then Leo deflected the question about his defense by questioning why we were put in that position.
@Bungee Aky: go to 3:40 on this for a really special effort. https://youtu.be/K2jh7__LAto
@Bungee Aky: I think he was talking about Kearney having to make a tackle in 40 metres of space on his own at one stage of the game.
@EK: so
@Bungee Aky: his brutal effort for teddy tomas… https://youtu.be/QHfKmfeTR0w
He shouldn’t start vs England. His performances don’t warrant a starting place and it sends out a bad message to players performing well who are passed over.
@OFFSZN: I don’t agree, because I don’t see who is ahead of him and available.
@OFFSZN: he’s come in from lengthy layoffs before and played brilliantly. Don’t see why it would be any different this time. England at Landsowne, he’ll be pushing hard to be ready you’d imagine
@OFFSZN: his performances, leadership and organisation for Ireland over the last year or two warrant him being selected. How he plays during the 6N will be interesting though. Granted, Ireland don’t concede many line breaks in the manner Leinster did, which helps his case, but if he has a slip up or two like he did against Scarletts then we might see Larmour/Conway/Addison starting in the WC. I’d personally like to see Conway. One thing was apparent, he’s lost his agility. He looked stuck in the mud against Scarletts. Maybe I’m wrong, but he’d be made bits of in a one on one against NZ or SA.
I’m a big fan of kearney, think what he brings to the Irish team is the same as what Girvan did, solidity and dependability. Ireland has plenty of free scoring wingers to choose from in stockdale, earls, Conway and larmour and having a fullback who Marshalls the defense is very important however I’d have my doubts about picking kearney on Saturday. He played last weekend because he needed to find fitness and form and he had a stinker, probably the worst game I’ve ever seen from him. I don’t think it’s the wisest thing to start him this weekend when there are question marks over him. It’d be better to give him the extra week and let conway or larmour have the 15 shirt. I wouldn’t back him this weekend because if it goes badly then it could be a big set back for him and Ireland.
@Jim Demps: Kearney as a last man defender in open field after a line break was never really something he’s was good at. As Cullen said allowing him get put in that position was also an issue. The Irish defence never really puts him in that position so for Ireland it’s not that big a deal. If the English plan is create a clean line break and then take on Kearney well good luck with that.
What he does bring is that he marshals the back 3 like no one else we have.
His form is not great but he has been here before and never let us down.
@Chris Mc: he’s lucky our defense is so organised, aided by him of course. Scary thought him getting caught one on one in the WC. I’d like to see someone else getting a shot and add a bit of experience to their bow.
@Jim Demps: it’s his game reading ability and how good he is at covering space with a 13 man defensive line that’s most important to Ireland.
@Chris Mc: he looked like a guy who was struggling with fitness and was trying too hard. I’d prefer to see him sit out this weekend and come back ready rather than him having a bad game and have everyone getting on his back afterwards.
@Chris Mc: I don’t understand why people are making such a big deal about this now, his last man one-on-one tackling has always been a weakness in his game, even at his prime. He doesn’t get exposed to that situation too often, particularly as most teams try to break us out wide. But there are numerous examples over the years of him getting burned just like against Scarlets.
@Jim Demps: I think that if he is dropped for this weekend and Ireland do win, then it is hard to see him being recalled for the next game – or indeed the rest of the 6 Nations unless his replacement is shown to be a weakness in the team. And then if Ireland don’t need him in the 6N his international career may be over as he can’t play multiple positions so, unless he is the number 1 full back he is unlikely to be picked for the RWC
@Kevin Ryan: it’s not thunderdome, we have the strength and quality in depth to allow a guy come back to peak fitness.
@Johnny 5: it’s always been a problem, he organizes the line so well that it’s not something that happens to him often, I don’t care what 15/23 joe picks this weekend those players will go out and give 100% for Ireland either way joe knows more than I do re the squad.
I think he plays this weekend and the rest is up to him
Perform and stay in the team
Fullback is the biggest depth issue for Ireland ahead of the world with an ageing Kearney, the departure of Zebo and Larmour looking vulnerable under the high ball all leaving things looking far from rosy. We could do much worse than using this six nations to give time in the position to Conway or Addison.
@Rochelle: you forgot to mention Tom Kiernan!
@Rochelle: larmour is not suspect under the high ball. He had one game where he missed a couple. In the same game both Earls and Stockdale both dropped or misread kicks but yet it’s only larmour who got singled out.
If Sexton or Murray had a stinker last weekend would there be calls for them to be dropped? Not a chance. Kearney is up there with them in terms of his importance. He’s crucial to how Ireland defend, and how we set up our attack from opposition kicks. He’s Ireland’s most decorated player of all time for a reason.
@Conor Matthews: no he’s not, don’t be stupid. The only players we have that are not replaceable with similiar quality are Furlong, Murray and Sexton, probably stockdale, POM and CJ as well. Their places are never so far anyway, under threat by the person below them.
@Bungee Aky: yeah sure thing..
45 games for club and country now without a try. Pretty shocking statistic
@PScald: of course, all that’s going to Happen now is a hat trick against England
Hope Eddie Jones is as fooled as the rest of ye that that was the real RK? Do u seriously think that Joe wanted his 1st choice world class fb risking injury tackling meanlingness Pro14?
@Ger Eckermann: if you think joe ever sent a player on the pitch and told him not to tackle just Incase he get hurt you know nothing about our coach.
@Ger Eckermann: so the negation always team coach dictates the performance of club players in club games now. Good to know.
@Chris Mc: why do you think Cullen is so confident so – he knows the remit. Kearney was sent out there to prove his fitness not get injured and Joe relies on him completely for big matches so would have told him not to take any unnecessary risks.
@Bungee Aky: since the IRFU pay all the players especially those on a CC they can dictate anything they want. We are the envy of the world for our player management and players like Kearney are way too valuable to be risked in meanlingness Pro14 except in terms of proving fitness.
@Ger Eckermann: so then he didn’t prove his fitness….
Kearney should have been dropped by Ireland three-plus years ago too old, too slow, complete lack of regard for defence thee days. he had one good game in Chicago against the Kiwis, and has been a liability every since. Its good to hear that schmidt is trying Henshaw at 15 in Portugal and hopefully that occurs against England this Saturday too