Donal Lenihan: A day that made you feel extremely proud to be a Munster man

With a total of 12 players set to make their first ever appearance in a senior shirt the challenge facing Munster had reached epic proportions

Munster players following the Heineken Champions Cup Pool B match between Wasps and Munster at Coventry Building Society Arena in Coventry, England. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

What a weekend that was. Rarely has a Munster team announcement attracted as much attention as the one produced by Johann van Graan at lunchtime last Friday.

Confirmation that none of the players exiting their Covid-induced quarantine at midnight on Saturday would be included in the matchday squad served to highlight the magnitude of the task at hand for Munster in Coventry on Sunday.

With a total of 12 players set to make not only their Heineken Champions Cup debut — but their first ever appearance in a senior shirt — the challenge facing Munster with 34 players unavailable had reached epic proportions.

Not that Wasps were without problems of their own. Bad enough having 18 players ruled out due to injury, but the news that filtered through to the Munster dressing room that their hosts were forced into four late changes due to a Covid outbreak would have been greeted as a sign that, perhaps, the rugby gods were finally offering Munster a lifeline.

With so many forwards deemed unavailable after their nightmare trip to South Africa and the subsequent Covid fallout, the fact that Munster, in contrast to Scarlets, decided to fulfill their opening European fixture, in such demanding circumstances, was not just admirable but worthy of some form of return.

The alternative — handing Wasps a 28-0 win with a four try bonus point — set a minimum target for a match day 23 cobbled together at short notice. 

What transpired was the stuff of legend. In the circumstances, the immortal words of England captain John Pullin came to mind after that famous game against Ireland in Dublin in 1973, played during a period of the escalating Troubles in the North when he declared after their 18-9 defeat: “We may not be much good, but at least we turn up”.

While nobody doubted that Munster would turn up, the big question was would they be in a position to compete, especially up front where their selection was most impacted by the coronavirus fallout.

Last season Munster recorded another famous win against the odds, trailing Clermont Auvergne by 19 points at one stage at the iconic Stade Marcel-Michelin, despite having to start a rookie at loose head prop in Josh Wycherley.

After being minced by the multi capped French international Rabah Slimani in the opening scrums, the young West Cork man found inspiration from within and an unwillingness to be beaten that propelled Munster on their way to a memorable 39-31 win.

The biggest issue facing Munster yesterday surrounded the fact that, on this occasion, they were starting with the equivalent of five Josh Wycherley’s up front, three of whom were stationed in the front five. 

That presented a challenge of entirely different proportions, even more so when those backing them up from the bench were even more callow.

A ray of hope was offered before kick-off when it emerged that the Wasps second row pairing of Sebastian de Chaves and Elliott Stooke along with explosive No 8 Tom Willis had to be withdrawn after testing positive for Covid. That would surely help to even up matters somewhat.

To compete at this level of rugby, you have to operate off a solid set piece platform. 

The Munster lineout proved exemplary with 21-year-old debutant hooker Scott Buckley outstanding with his pinpoint deliveries yielding a 100% return out of touch, the majority aimed at Peter O’Mahony, while he was on the pitch.

Conceding two penalties off the opening three scrums appeared ominous but the entire complexion of the game changed dramatically after the Wasps captain and makeshift second row Brad Shields was dramatically sent off after only 25 minutes of action for a high hit on Dave Kilcoyne in what appeared an incredibly harsh call by French referee Romain Poite.

With Wasps hooker Dan Frost yellow carded for a cynical killing of the ball on the stroke of half time, Munster entered the break not only with a four-point lead but a two-man advantage for the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

Even in these extraordinary circumstances, Munster never look a gift horse in the mouth. Cometh the hour for 19-year-old former Cork minor footballer Patrick Campbell to seize his moment and close out a great midfield breakout to finish a superb try two minutes after the restart.

A somewhat fortuitous try by Andrew Conway six minutes later extracted a bountiful 12 point return from the two man numerical advantage that ultimately proved pivotal in writing yet another famous chapter on Munster’s storied history on the European stage.

While the foundation stone for this immense victory was laid by the nine seasoned internationals in Munster colours, with O’Mahony and Tadhg Beirne especially influential, the real heroes were the six starting debutants, all of whom not only contributed to a famous win but showcased the outstanding work being done throughout the rugby playing clubs and schools around the province.

While Buckley enjoyed a dream debut, scoring the all-important fourth try to secure the bonus point and was deservedly named player of the match, his fellow rookies all had their moments. 

James French put aside issues in the scrum to carry well while second row Eoin O’Connor’s work rate throughout was exemplary.

In the back row, No 8 Daniel Okeke looked explosive and comfortable on the ball while John Hodnett made a massive contribution at the breakdown with two vital turnovers when Munster were under pressure prior to the dismissal of Shields.

This was one of those days that made you feel extremely proud to be a Munster man. The fact that stand in academy head coach Ian Costello was able to offer a Heineken Cup debut to all eight replacements was the icing on the cake.

Three of those, replacement half-backs Ethan Coughlan and Tony Butler along with wing forward Conor Moloney, came through the underage system in Ennis rugby club, making it a red letter day for Clare.

John Forde and Mark Donnelly are barely out of school with PBC and CBC and are regular AIL starters for Cork Constitution and Garryowen.

A special word for Costello and his fellow academy coaches, including Greg Oliver, who took ownership of this team over the last two weeks and prepared them in the most bizarre of circumstances for this contest.

With none of Munster’s main coaching team of Van Graan, Stephen Larkham, and Graham Rowntree in a position to travel due to Covid protocols, the academy staff managed the occasion magnificently and deserve immense credit for the result and the way they prepared the team. 

With just a six-day turnaround before Munster’s next European outing against Castres at Thomond Park next Saturday night, nobody knows yet who will be in charge or what players exiting quarantine will be ready to step back into competitive action.

What we do know is the buzz in the high performance unit in Limerick on their return will make it the most welcoming of environments after a thrilling result that has provided a badly needed lift at the most opportune of times.

Connacht also launched their European campaign with a quality performance, in difficult conditions, against Stade Francais in Galway. 

Andy Friend has his charges playing really attractive rugby, matched in equal measure by an honesty of effort and relentless commitment that so often sees them conquer more fancied opposition.

Scoring six tries for a bonus point 36-9 win over French Top 14 opposition represents just about the best start to the tournament they could have hoped for and in many ways offers them a free hit when they travel to Welford Road next weekend against current Gallagher Premiership leaders Leicester Tigers. 

That represents their biggest challenge of the season to date but, given their positive mindset, its an experience this Connacht squad will relish.

Ulster will also be buoyant after their deserved win on the road against Clermont Auvergne. South African World Cup winner Duane Vermeulen made a dream debut with a strong 50 minute shift while John Cooney offered Andy Farrell a timely reminder that he still has something to offer on the international stage.

Leinster were on a hiding to nothing given anything other than a convincing win over the Gallagher Premierships basement side Bath would raise questions. In the circumstances the manner of their 25 point winning margin and the fact that Bath won the final quarter 7-0 offered confirmation that Leinster are still a bit short of their convincing best.

That’s not a bad position to be in with five points in the bag after what has proved an exceptional opening weekend of European action for all four Irish provinces.