Scoreline masks Munster’s malaise

MUNSTER will not retain the Heineken Cup if they repeat Saturday night’s performance at Thomond Park.

In the end, they beat Cardiff Blues 32-18, and picked up a bonus point, which sounds very convincing. Realistically, though, there were so many mistakes in almost every facet of play and a near disastrous failure to capitalise on innumerable gilt-edged chances that the think tank will be pondering long and hard in preparation for their next assignment — a Magners League Thomond Park clash with high-flying Leinster two days after Christmas.

Leading 14-3 after 20 minutes, thanks to two superbly taken Denis Leamy tries converted by Ronan O’Gara, another capacity attendance sat back and waited for the floodgates to open. That it never happened was due to a number of factors, not least Cardiff’s refusal to be bullied, but even more so to an error-riddled and all too predictable performance by the home side.

Coach Declan Kidney put a brave face on it, though deep down he had to have been deeply relieved at taking nine points out of a possible 10 from the two Cardiff matches. He wasn’t for criticising the visitors, who played French referee Joel Jutge so superbly that only Martyn Williams of their constantly infringing side was sent to the sin bin, preferring to emphasise the worthy challenge they had presented.

“There are aspects of our game we will obviously look at but we’ve just won two Heineken Cup games and we’re delighted with that,” Kidney said with considerable emphasis.

“All the other stuff we’ll keep for another day. We must allow the players to enjoy it and not over-analyse things. Given that we know how much we can improve, we can make ourselves a better team. We will look at the width in our game and the use of multi-phase ball. When you have so much ball, you can be very critical of what you did with it. You can get carried away with these things. We’ve just managed to do the double over a very good team.”

Fair point, and oddly enough, it would be difficult to criticise any individual member of the Munster side. Leamy was only one of many to make incisions in the Cardiff defence. David Wallace, Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Trevor Halstead, O’Gara, Barry Murphy and John Kelly were prominent in this respect as well. It was as a unit that much more was expected from the side.

Cardiff, for all their committed performance, hardly boast one of the game’s great lineouts but they had the better of matters in this area and were rarely under serious pressure on their own throw. In contrast, there seemed a lack of cohesion between the Munster thrower, lifters and jumpers. Very much the same applied to the back division which has rarely seen so much possession, most of it of high quality, and yet there were countless breakdowns, most notably the early Christmas present handed to Jamie Robinson for Cardiff’s first try.

You can only imagine the havoc the Leinster backs would wreak if they were plied with this kind of ball. Of the four tries, only one came from a back and even Barry Murphy’s touchdown early in the second half was due to a piece of individual inspiration on the part of the speedy second centre.

It could be fairly argued Munster’s game is based largely on forward dominance and that the backs will always take second place. Equally, though, they didn’t conquer Europe on that basis last season and won’t do so this time either unless there is a far better understanding between half-backs and three-quarters and their attacks become a lot less predictable.

True, the famous maul came to their bonus point rescue at the death but otherwise Cardiff dealt with it to a point of deeply frustrating and even rattling the men in red.

They remain four points clear of Leicester, who were afforded their anticipated five-point romp by Bourgoin, who somehow manage to avoid sanction by ERC in spite of continuing to treat the competition as if it were of no interest to them.

They might adopt a different attitude in Geneva next month simply because of the novelty of the venue!

A bonus point there would put Munster very much in pole position for the following week’s Thomond Park clash with Leicester, who are showing absolutely no sign of giving up the chase.

Declan Kidney, of course, will expect Cardiff to extend the same kind of stubborn resistance as they put up on Saturday when they visit Welford Road but right now nothing is assured in Pool 4.

Said Kidney: “We’re going to have to win our next two matches to top our group. The way it’s breaking down, if we both win the next day and Leicester get a bonus point and we don’t, then it’s 22 points to 19, making the Leicester game a case of winner take all.”