Lacklustre Munster struggle to wear down French resistance
Rusty Munster never really got going at Lansdowne Road on Saturday and enjoyed several moments of good fortune before seeing off the formidable and physical challenge presented by Perpignan.
There were extenuating circumstances to explain why Munster struggled to impose their will on this Heineken Cup quarter-final, and it had as much to do with the resistance presented by the visitors as much as anything else.
Indeed, had Mattieu Bourret not missed two gilt-edged penalty chances in the second half and Ronan O’Gara not enjoyed a 100% return with his place kicking, it could have been an entirely different outcome.
Furthermore, Welsh referee Nigel Whitehouse did Munster’s prospects little harm.
“We can step up a good three gears on that performance,” acknowledged man-of-the-match Paul O’Connell. However, both he and coach Declan Kidney made no secret of their relief at the outcome and you sense they will work slavishly over the coming three weeks so that they are a lot sharper for Leinster.
The rain was teeming down as Perpignan took the field to generous applause but it was like a sustained thunder clap when Antony Foley led his men out in front of about 47,000 members of the red army.
The din graphically illustrated the sense of expectation and perhaps contributed to a shaky beginning by the home side. Turnovers in the first two phases followed by an O’Gara restart that went directly into touch put them under the cosh.
Three successive penalties helped to settle the side down and after that slow start, Munster assumed control and looked to have taken a deserved lead on 14 minutes.
Donncha O’Callaghan stole a Perpignan line-out and showed remarkable dexterity in first controlling the ball and then keeping his feet long enough for O’Connell to gain possession. He reached for the line but Whitehouse was unsighted, and video referee Derek Bevan correctly ruled that the second row had lost the ball forward.
Within minutes, Perpignan prop Nicolas Mas was making his way to the bin having flagrantly gone offside to prevent Peter Stringer getting the ball away at a ruck close to the line. Munster duly rumbled from the line-out and after the initial surges were halted, the scrum-half used the narrow side and this time O’Connell made no mistake. Yet another immaculate O’Gara touchline conversion found the target but Munster joy was short-lived.
Trevor Halstead lost possession of the greasy ball in contact on his own 22, Perpignan counter-attacked and winger Matthieu Bourret somehow held a difficult pass and raced away to the corner for a well-taken try, which he converted with a fine kick.
On 34 minutes, a miscued clearance by John Kelly got his side into all sorts of trouble and led to a point blank range penalty for Bourret.
Just before half-time, Denis Leamy’s dodgy ankle caught up with him and he limped off to be replaced by Mick O’Driscoll. It was a low period of the game for Munster and Whitehouse brought the half to an end with the French three points in front.
Onidiu Tonita knocked on the restart, a team-mate infringed and O’Gara banged over the equaliser. Further Perpignan cynicism cost them another three points after O’Driscoll stole a line-out throw and O’Gara obliged once again. But this was far from a done deal.
Perpignan surged to within a few feet of the Munster line and it took magnificent defence to keep them out. Once again, indiscipline cost them dearly. Scrum-half Nicolas Durand was nabbed by Peter Stringer, reacted in frustration and was sin binned and also penalised. Another dangerous siege had been lifted.
Now it was Munster’s turn to take the initiative in a bruising and physical forward battle. David Wallace nearly made it all the way up the left flank in one of his trademark bursts.
Full-back Julien Laharrague shaved the posts with a mighty drop goal attempt from his own half and then Bourret missed a relative sitter from 35 metres and straight in front.
O’Gara struck again to open up a nine point gap but Munster were wide open on 71 minutes only for Bourret to drop a pass with a try there for the taking. The pressure was on the winger when a penalty harshly awarded for obstruction against Shaun Payne presented itself and again he couldn’t come up with the answer.
: S. Payne; J. Kelly, T. O’Leary, T. Halstead, I. Dowling; R. O’Gra, P. Stringer; R. O’Gara, P. Stringer; M. Horan, J. Flannery, J. Hayes, D. O’Callaghan, P. O’Connell, D. Leamy, D. Wallace, A. Foley (capt).
: M. O’Driscoll for Leamy 37; J. Manning and C. Cullen for O’Gara and Kelly 80.
: J. Laharrague; C. Manas, D. Marty, J.P. Grandclaude, S. Dawai Naulu; M. Edmonds, N. Durand; P. Freshwater, M. Tincu, N. Mas, R. Alvarez-Kairelis, N. Hines, G. Lecorvec, O. Tonita, S. Robertson.
: C. Gaston and S. Bozzi for Alvarez and Mas 58; V. Vaki for Robertson 63.
: N. Whitehouse (Wales).
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