Fortune proves so fickle for Munster
Seven days on from Munster’s morale-booster over the old enemy, Leinster, on home soil, and they crash and burn in Murrayfield.
It appears that far too much was read into that Pro12 result and Munster were guilty of complacency in Scotland. Even at the height of their powers, Munster could never afford to make that mistake.
Leinster on the other hand were forced to retreat from Limerick and lick their wounds in the knowledge that a repeat performance would not suffice away from home against a steely opponent like Ospreys.
They absorbed their lessons while Munster never managed to produce the same level of sustained intensity they achieved seven days earlier.
Accuracy and decision-making under pressure is what separates anddecides contests of this nature.
In almost every aspect of play, Leinster took the right option in terms of whether to kick, pass or take the ball into contact while Munster, both in terms of decision- making and execution, were found wanting on far too many occasions.
That the game should be decided by a loose chip from JJ Hanrahan was cruel in the extreme for him. He should take solace from the fact that Conor Murray made a similar error of judgment which cost Munster an opening day away win against Racing Metro last season but bounced back to have an outstanding season.
Such is the lot of the up and comer and Hanrahan needs to get up immediately and dust himself off, just like Murray did 12 months ago.
Matt O’Connor had a big decision to make before kick- off as to whom he should select at out-half and in the end, opted for the greater experience of Jimmy Gopperth over the vastly talented Ian Madigan.
A Heineken Cup debutant he may have been, but Gopperth has been exposed to rugby at the highest level in both hemispheres.
His option-taking was top class, whether kicking, running or opening up theOspreys tight rush defence with sharp flat passes. Add in a magnificent cover tackle on flying Ospreys replacement winger Jeffrey Hassler with time running out and a return of five from five from the boot and the New Zealander could hardly have done any more.
To put this win into context, in recent times Leicester Tigers (on three occasions), Munster, Toulon, Toulouse, ClermontAuvergne and Ulster have all travelled with confidence to the Liberty Stadium and left empty- handed.
After last weekend’s disappointing outing in Thomond Park, the pressure was on this young Leinster sidebut they responded with aresilience and commitment that suggests, with so many big names to come back into the side, they will be serious contenders for honours again in May.
One of the big challenges facing them coming into this game was a leadership void in the absence of their chief decision maker Leo Cullen and former Irish leader Brian O’Driscoll.
Factor in also the reality of life in Europe without Jonathan Sexton and Isa Nacewa and the character of their squad was set to be tested to the full.
O’Connor need not have lost any sleep on the leadership issue. After a testing opening period whenquestions were being asked by an exuberant Ospreys side, Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien grasped this game by the scruff of the neck.
When O’Brien chooses to go the direct route, he isimpossible to stop. His ability to power through tacklers not only offers a massive psychological boost but it also means teammates will bust a gut to get on his shoulder and look for the offload.
A key area in this battle was just how accomplished Leinster were without the ball. The Ospreys have a reputation — both in theRaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup — as one of the most difficult teams to manage at the breakdown. They have a history of frustrating Leinster in that area but on this occasion the roles were reversed with O’Brien, Heaslip and Kevin McLaughlin superb. Having been blown away by Munster in that sector last weekend, they made crucial adjustments and turned it to their advantage.
The biggest plus of all however was the performance of their young props. Afterlosing Mike Ross just 19minutes into the game,Leinster were forced to throw another Heineken Cup debutant into the mix in young Martin Moore. The tight head prop is the cornerstone of the scrum in the sense that if you are not up to the task, the entire operation is compromised. That is why Ospreys captain Alun Wyn Jones chose a five-metre attacking scrum when offered a penalty on the half hour mark, with Leinster looking vulnerable.
Moore had his hands full in dealing with the multi-capped Duncan Jones in his first two scrums and the Ospreys smelt blood. Cometh the hour and all that. Moore not only absorbed the initial pressure exerted by the Ospreys front five but readjusted and came back to attack Jones, winning a vital penalty. The adrenaline rush that accompanies a moment like that swept through the entire team and Leinster never looked back.
O’Connor even had theconfidence to introduce loose head prop Jack McGrath for an exhausted Cian Healy with 18 minutes left and he too played his part.
In all, Leinster had five players making Heineken Cup debuts when McGrath, Moore and Quinn Roux joined Brendan Mackin and Gopperth off the bench. To win in such circumstances gets their campaign off to the best possible start and the fact Castres beat Northampton in France in the other Pool One game was a good result for O’Connor’s side.
They entertain the French champions at the RDS next weekend at a time when their form on the road in the Top 14 is abysmal.
Where to now for Munster? Rob Penney described Saturday’s defeat as a disaster and given Edinburgh’s appalling start to the Rabo, you could appreciate where he wascoming from. At least they came away with a vital losing bonus point, which may yet prove crucial.
Failure to bounce back next Saturday and win against Gloucester, who enjoyed adecent win at home against Perpignan, is unthinkable.
With so much discussion surrounding the fact that this could be the last ever Heineken Cup, it is impossible to contemplate the fallout if Munster’s last campaign in this great European odyssey was to end before reaching the key back-to-back phase in December. Now that would be a real disaster.
