No answer to Welsh fire

IT WAS as if we were transported back in time.

In a ground that reeked of Old World values, Llanelli played with a confident swagger that hasn’t been witnessed in the Welsh valleys since the 1970s.

Reigning champions Munster can have no complaints after being comprehensively beaten by an outstanding Scarlets side that played with pace and invention from the very first whistle.

From the moment when Munster took to the field you feared that their grey away strip was an omen for the night, and so it proved.

After so many outstanding performances on the European stage, Munster can have no complaints on this occasion.

Over the years Munster have always being vulnerable at the quarter-final stage as a consequence of the demands of the Six Nations Championship.

And it was evident from the outset that their lack of game time together since the defeat to Leicester at Thomond Park was working against them. On too many occasions simple knock-ons and unforced errors left the home side off the hook.

The loss of captain Paul O’Connell and outstanding full back Shaun Payne also proved a major handicap. Payne, in particular, was severely missed and Christian Cullen’s lack of big match game time in recent seasons was all too evident.

From the opening minutes when Dafydd James scored from an intelligent cross-field kick by Dwayne Peel, it was clear that Llanelli were remaining faithful to the expansive game that has carried them unbeaten through the pool stage of this year’s competition.

Lethal in possession, their ability to recycle ball quickly was causing Munster all kinds of problems.

It says everything about Munster’s character that despite being under constant pressure throughout the opening half they were still only seven points in arrears with four minutes of the half remaining.

Given that the Scarlets were playing with the aid of a strong wind, Munster still retained cause for optimism. However, 10 points in that four-minute spell from an outstanding penalty kick from half way by Barry Davies and a try by Gavin Thomas broke Munster’s resistance. Even had they been on top of their game, a 17-point deficit would have proved too difficult. On this occasion, it was too big an ask.

Llanelli triumphed through the performance of their middle five. Their outstanding back row of Simon Easterby, Alix Popham and Gavin Thomas won the crucial battle against Munster’s back-row trio, and as a consequence the half-back partnership of Peel and Stephen Jones prospered.

Jones, in particular has every reason to be proud of his performance given the pummelling that he has taken from the Welsh press for the performances in the Six Nations. At the end of an outstanding service from Peel, Jones dominated proceedings with his distribution and kicking game.

Against him Ronan O’Gara was on the back foot all evening and his game suffered as a result.

While Lifeimi Mafi and Ian Dowling had their moments, Munster’s back line, as a unit, was unable to breach an outstanding Llanelli defence. When the tries did come, it was too late.

While Munster dominated both scrum and line out, on any occasion when they were presented with an attacking opportunity in the Llanelli 22 their discipline and composure failed them. So many times in the past, we have witnessed Munster converting those opportunities into scores. This time, they couldn’t get the job done.

As always, the character of the side, even when they were on the rack, came to the fore as evidenced by those late tries. On this occasion, however, it was a mere consolation.

Llanelli have now succeeded in defeating three former winners in Ulster, Toulouse and Munster already this season. On this form, you wouldn’t bet against them going the whole way.