MUNSTER produced a rousing comeback as the province managed to overcome Ulster with 14-men in the URC.
From a Munster Rugby context the day did not start well Peter O’Mahony was ruled out of the clash due to an injury, he picked up in the warmup.
Tadgh Beirne was drafted in to take O’Mahony’s place with Alex Kendellen coming into the replacements.
Rob Herring got the visitors off the mark with a try which helped Ulster into a 10-6 lead at the interval. Simon Zebo saw red in the opening half but with numbers evened up as Kieran Treadwell was sent to the bin.
Munster took advantage of this with Mike Haley dotting down for Munster’s first try of the night.
Alex Kendellen doubled on this which was enough for the hard fought and crucial win.
Below are the player ratings from a cold night in Thomond Park.
Munster Player Ratings
Dave Kilcoyne – 8
Kilcoyne put on a great display of power on both the offensive and defensive side of the game. This ranged from notable tackles to stop Ulster momentum, to the line out, to the thirteen carries he took into contact gaining solid meters for the team. A great industrial performance from a player that you expect to give it everything.
Niall Scannell – 7
Scannell put his usual shift in at hooker as a dependable starter for the province. He threw well at the lineout as expected and also got around the park as he made thirteen meters off of eight carries. Scannell also passed the ball three times with eight tackles and no turnovers.
Stephen Archer – 7
Archer filled the role he was playing, putting in eight tackles helping the team out when they needed it. Archer carried the ball five times and made seven meters. His scrumming was really top notch and helped Munster look stable.
Thomas Ahern – 8
Partner of Fineen Wycherley in the second row, he made himself accounted for as he put in a huge thirteen tackles on the day. This output definitely helped as fourteen men Munster might have been dead in the water without some of the interventions he made.
Fineen Wycherley – 8
Second row is a vital position and Munster should have no worries as seen from Wycherley’s performance. he put in excellent work around the pitch making twenty-two meters off of twelve carries and he put in an excellent eleven tackles across the pitch.
Tadgh Beirne – 9
This performance speaks for itself as Beirne found himself all over the park, He had nine carries for a total of fifteen meters gained on the day. He made an impressive eleven tackles to go with five passes. His work at the breakdown really made him stand out as he helped win crucial penalties for his side. On the night Beirne was given Player of The Match.
John Hodnett – 8
Hodnett continued the trend of Munster back rowers putting in a good performance. His sixteen tackles highlight just how busy he was on the field throwing his body on the line. Hodnett also found himself carrying the ball six times making up eleven meters.
Gavin Coombes – 9
Coombes is a younger player who performs like a seasoned international. He put in a huge display from the number eight position having a truly impressive twenty-seven carries and making over fifty meters on the pitch. He also managed seven passes and an impressive eleven tackles. If not for Tadgh Beirne’s performance, Coombes would have easily been the best performer on the pitch.
Craig Casey – 8
A number nine that is really establishing himself putting in consistent performance throughout the entire season and this game wasn’t an exception. Casey, over the game had a total of seventy-nine passes indicating he was ready to take the game to Ulster almost averaging a pass per minute. His tempo helped stretch the opposition and crucially he sent Mike Haley into the corner with a great looped pass.
Jack Crowley – 7
Crowley put in a good shift at ten helping the play move smoothly. He carried the ball four times making ten meters. Crowley put in eight tackles showing he wasn’t afraid to mix it up with the opposition. What was crucial about the performance was how confidently he struck both penalties he was given, scoring six points for the team and helping them stay within touching distance of Ulster.
Simon Zebo – 5
A high tackle led to a red card for the winger, cutting short his display.
Rory Scannell – 8
Scannell plays the facilitator role to his centre partner Farrell, and it was apparent in this game as he completed seven passes within six carries. Scannell also got over the gain line himself as he managed to make up twenty-five meters for the team with two tackles.
Chris Farrell – 8
Each time Farrell wears the Munster red he puts in a good performance. the centre helped use his size and skill to affect the game and his defensive capabilities really helped Munster when they were under serious threat from the opposition, He managed eleven carries making up twenty-two meters and six tackles.
Sean French- 6
French found it hard to impose himself on the game as he was taken off relatively early in the second half. In his time on the pitch, he managed five tackles impressively and two carries gaining seven meters.
Mike Haley – 9
Similar to Beirne, Haley fronted up after going down to fourteen men and put on a great display in the backfield. He carried the ball thirteen times into contact with one pass. The carries paid off when he made an excellent line break that led to the winner. Haley had a total of sixty-five meters gained and most importantly he scored a crucial try in the corner to help Munster crawl back into the game and eventually go on to win.
Munster vs Ospreys
Munster’s Mike Haley at the full time whistle
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Oisin Keniry
Replacements
Diarmuid Barron – 6
Barron came on for Niall Scannell inheriting the lineout throw which was commendable in his time on the pitch. He made six meters off of four carries and he made three tackles.
Josh Wycherley – 6
Wycherley came on for Kilcoyne and filled in as his understudy well as he managed seven meters off of four carries and he completed three tackles.
John Ryan – 6
Dependable as they come, Ryan filled in well, scrummaged adequately and recorded two tackles.
Alex Kendellen – 7
Kendellen came on for Hodnett at the 61st minute and in that time, he managed five carries with two meters and three tackles. Crucially Kendellen followed the play at the end of the game and found himself in the right area to score the winning try to complete the comeback for Munster.
Jack O’ Donoghue – 7
Coming off the bench isn’t easy, but O’Donoghue looked match ready as soon as he stepped on the pitch for Ahern on the 64th minute. He carried the ball four times but made a whopping twenty-four meters from those carries, really helping push Munster up the pitch near the end of the game.
Neil Cronin – 6
Replaced Casey at nine and really pushed the tempo in the final minutes helping Munster to the win. He recorded twelve passes in nine minutes.
Ben Healy- 6
Healy stepped up when it mattered in the final part of the game to convert Kendellen’s match winner, in the time he was on the pitch he made four passes, one carry and a tackle.
Shane Daly – 6
Daly came on for Sean French neither player had a particularly outstanding match, but Daly seemed to be the busier of the two in the time he had on the pitch with two carries with sixteen meters made and one pass.
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