MUNSTER Rugby produce a gutsy performance as they book their place in The Champions Cup quarterfinals.
Munster were put through their paces once again as Castres put in a strong performance against the red province.
The game was hard fought as both teams went shot for shot against each other. A magnificent chip from Bottica led to the first try of the match and forced Munster refocus after scoring first. Munster hung in as Crowley kept the scoreboard ticking over as he kicked 100% from the tee.
The red men found themselves down 13-9 with ten minutes left on the clock. A penalty was given in Munster’s favour as Tadhg Beirne turned over the ball.
The province went to the corner and after a couple of phases Gavin Coombes found himself with the ball. He powered over the line to put the ball down to win the game at the death. Crowley converted the try to close out the game, bringing the final score to16-13.
Player Ratings
Dave Kilcoyne – 7
Kilcoyne was as dependable as ever, the scrum was a mixed bag unfortunately, but Kilcoyne helped when it mattered. His presence was also felt on the defensive side of the game throughout his 60 minutes on the pitch as he put in 7 tackles.
Niall Scannell – N/A
Scannell got started off well as he does game in game out, unfortunately Scannell picked up an arm-injury which eventually led to an early substitution.
Stephen Archer – 6
Archer might not be the most prolific ball carrier. Instead, he positioned himself in pods near to the rucks to help secure the ball and keep his team moving. He was penalised in the scrum but that can be due to the grey area around the scrums from the referees.
Fineen Wycherley – 6
Munster’s lineout was malfunctioning as Wycherley wasn’t at his best form in a jumping context. He didn’t find himself being to busy around the park leading to a to substitution on the 60th minute.
Tadgh Beirne – 8
Beirne is ever-present on the field as he seems to make Munster a better outfit whenever he plays. Thanks to his crucial turnovers at the breakdown, he gave Munster a chance to relieve pressure. Thanks to his turnover on the 75th minute of the game gave Munster the platform to steal the game.
Peter O’Mahony – 7
The Munster captain was up to his usual tricks, he was a nuisance for opposition at the lineout but as previously mentioned he couldn’t affect much on Munster’s own lineout ball. O’Mahony didn’t allow the history of the two sides get into his head as he kept his team cool throughout the handbags of the game.
Jack O’Donoghue – 7
A valued member of the Munster pack as his powerful ball-carrying and tackling brought much needed intensity. Putting 6 carries and tackles O’Donoghue fronted up for the team.
Gavin Coombes – 9
Paired up with O’Donoghue he moved around the park carrying the ball with great physicality helping the gain line many times. His 43 meters and 16 carries just shows how he made his presence on the field. The great performance was then signed off by an excellent darting try to secure the victory and qualification for the quarter finals.
Conor Murray – 7
As one of the more senior players Murray could have done more to help relieve pressure from his young fly-half Crowley. That being said he used his kicking game effectively and helped move fluidly for Munster while he was on the pitch.
Jack Crowley- 7
Crowley put in a commendable performance although he didn’t have buckets of experience, he showed great class from the tee as he kicked three penalties and a conversion. His penalties kept Munster in the tie by keeping in touching distance of Castres. His 12 tackles also showed his commitment on the defensive side of the game.
Keith Earls – 7
The experienced winger showed his class once again in the red of Munster as he put in a classic 60 minutes. A notable moment for earls is the cross-field kick reception that led to a penalty for the 3 points. There is rarely a game where he doesn’t play with pride for the province.
Rory Scannell – 7
Replacing prolific Damien De Allende, Scannell put in a commendable performance not making many mistakes. His desire to keep the ball moving helped the red province get good momentum going forward.
Chris Farrell – 7
Usually marvelled for his size and physicality, this game he was trying to use soft hands to get other players through the lines. His 36 meters gained off of only four carries does typify his usefulness to the team.
Andrew Conway – 6.5
Not a classic Conway performance as he wasn’t able to put his offensive stamp on the game, his most notable moment of the game came when Castres winger Nakosi ran over the top of his poorly attempted tackle.
Mike Haley- 7
Haley is a dynamic runner from full-back and was the leader of meters made as he tends to be, a whopping 98 meters off of 11 carries is incredible output. He was a nuisance for the opposition defence and a constant threat.
Substitutes
Diarmuid Barron – 7
Coming on for Niall Scannell at the 28th minute, he played well in open play as he filled in well found his pods and help retain ball. His lineout throws had left fans wanting but a good performance either way.
Jeremy Loughman – 6
Loughman came on for Kilcoyne on the 60th minute and filled in his role well, was apart of the final push to win the game.
John Ryan – 6
Like Loughman, Ryan came on and filled his role well, allowing for good ball retention at the breakdown and doing his bit in the scrum.
Jean Kleyn – 6
Much like the other substitutes Kleyn didn’t do anything that would light up the pitch, but he did his job and put tackles in when needed. Also, he was a good lineout option for the push at the end of the game.
John Hodnett – 6
Hodnett made a huge contribution to Munster as his line break helped the team relive huge pressure while also giving the team huge field position. This cameo proves with more minutes he could be a top performer.
Craig Casey – 7
Casey was a bright spark when he was introduced for Murray on the 60th minute. He brought both calmness and good tempo to help push Munster towards that winning score.
Jake Flannery – N/A
N/A
Shane Daly – 6
Daly was a solid option off the bench as his calm demeanour helped towards the provinces emphatic win, he recorded 11 meters from 3 carries in his time on the field.
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