JACK CROWLEY enhanced his ever-growing credentials as a class performer when landing a late winning drop goal for Munster against unbackable Leinster in the semi-final of the United Rugby Championship at a 29,000 capacity Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.
The visitors had looked the more likely winners all through, but it took that dramatic score at the death from recent Young Player-of-the Year nominee Crowley to edge Munster to a famous 15-16 victory in the capital.
Joe McCarthy’s try a little earlier appeared to have given Leinster the edge.
“We were still in the game. We tend to stick in the game,” Munster coach Graham Rowntree afterwards told reporters. “This group don’t give in, and we have come through some fires in the last few weeks.”
“We are tough, battle-hardened, so I was never hopeless. This team don’t go away.”
He continued: “Not perfect, not perfect. As I say, we’ve got to be more clinical. We spoke about it at half-time, we needed to be more clinical near the opposition try-line.
“This (Leinster) is a very good team, regardless of whoever they have out on the field. A very good team. So, we weren’t perfect, but I’m delighted with the fight and the spirit.”
In Saturday week’s final, Munster will tackle Stormers, who swept aside Connacht at home in the other semi-final, in Cape Town. It will be their third visit to South Africa inside just two months, and the weekend confidence-builder will be massive as the team bid for a first trophy in 12 years.
