Magnificent Munster stand up and delight

THERE have been many famous Munster moments in France, but few to rival this.

In one of the most inspired and controlled performance ever produced by the two-time European champions, they humbled the French kingpins who had won each of their last 16 Heineken Cup games at the Stade Aime Giral.

We never saw this coming given their disappointing form this season and no side could have lived with them yesterday.

Individually and collectively, they were magnificent, and Perpignan were left shattered at the final whistle.

Who could have imagined Munster would hammer Perpignan by 23 points and claim a bonus point?

Many would have happily settled for a losing bonus point but instead the men in red have taken command of Pool One, two points clear of Northampton Saints.

There is always the danger of overstatement on such occasions but no words can describe what this team achieved against the odds. They needed a good start and got it largely because the forwards bullied the opposition, drove them back before hooker Denis Fogarty forced his way over for a superb team try. Ronan O’Gara, who had earlier kicked a penalty, converted and Munster were 10-3 ahead with the French relying on the dead ball accuracy of David Mele.

A 10-9 interval lead was tenuous but what the team produced in the second half was beyond belief.

Paul O’Connell arguably has never played a better match and many others took the lead from their captain in an incredible 40 minutes.

Munster Coach Tony McGahan can take some plaudits, not least because of his shrewd use of the bench, an area where he may have been open to criticism in the past. Jean De Villiers was brought into the action midway through second half and within minutes crashed through several tackles to score a wonderful try. Denis Hurley and Doug Howlett followed suit, O’Gara kept the scoreboard ticking over and all the French could manage was an opportunist try by replacement hooker Guilheim Guirado.

“This was a seriously good team performance and that’s what was great about today, there was no one outstanding contributor,” said O’Connell. Every member of the squad distinguished himself and their intent was never better demonstrated than by the way they held Perpignan out over a five-minute spell before the end.

Having done so, they then swept up the field and created a classic and potentially crucial try for Howlett.

These matches are invariably won up front, and it was here Munster shone brightest. O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan were magnificent in the lineout and it will be a particularly memorable Christmas for O'Callaghan as he marries Jennifer Harte on Wednesday.

McGahan was equally delighted with the front row of Denis Fogarty, John Hayes and South African, Wian Du Preez. On two occasions in the first half, they pushed Perpignan back metres at a time, thereby paving the way for the Fogarty try.

And then there was the back row. If O’Connell was man of the match, then David Wallace was only inches behind. His tackle count exceeded all others while his ball carrying, even by his legendary standards, was awesome. Denis Leamy hasn’t had a better match in ages while Alan Quinlan continues to defy the advancing years with his enthusiasm and footballing brilliance. And when he and Hayes must have been feeling the pressure, they were called ashore for Donncha Ryan and Tony Buckley to carry the onus over the closing quarter of an hour or so.

All of this sat very nicely with the men behind them. Tomas O’Leary highlighted a terrific afternoon with the kind of break with which he has been synonymous since his youngest schoolboy days. Ronan O’Gara was back to his best and his little grubber kick for Howlett’s bonus-point try at the death was a little touch of genius while Paul Warwick was superb at full-back.

The introduction of De Villiers for Lifeimi Mafi proved a masterstroke. The South African’s try was a beauty and a reward for hard and fearless running and the same could be said for the manner in which Denis Hurley took his chance. Perpignan were left reeling long before the end, their noisy fans largely silenced by the ignominious way their players were being treated by the rampant Munster men. Few if any will have happy memories of the day and certainly not prop Jerome Schuster who was lucky to escape with a yellow card for his apparent headbutt on Denis Leamy. O’Gara also spent 10 minutes in the bin but nothing but nothing could possibly take from this magnificent result.

Scorers for Perpignan: Try: Guilhem Guirado; Penalty: David Mele (3).

Scorers for Munster: Try: Doug Howlett, Jean de Villiers, Denis Hurley, Denis Fogarty; Conversion – Ronan O’Gara (3), Paul Warwick; Penalty – Ronan O’Gara (3).

PERPIGNAN: P Burger, F Sid, D Marty, M Mermoz, C Manas, G Hume, D Mele, J Schuster, M Tincu, N Mas (c), O Olibeau, R Tchale Watchou, Y Vivalda, B Guiry, O Tonita.

Replacements: G Guirado for Tincu, P Freshwater for Schuster, J Porical for Manas, Y Parent for Tonita (all 60) , N Durand for Mele (68) , R Alvarez Kairelis for Vivalda, J-P Grandclaude for Marty (both 71), K Pulu for Mas (74) .

Sinbinned: Schuster (48-58) .

MUNSTER: P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, L Mafi, Denis Hurley; R O’Gara, T O’Leary; W du Preez, D Fogarty, J Hayes, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell (c), A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy.

Replacements: D Varley for Fogarty, D Ryan for Quinlan (both 60), J de Villiers for Mafi (62), T Buckley for Hayes (68), M O’Driscoll for O’Callaghan, P Stringer for O’Leary (both 76), N Ronan for Wallace (77). Sinbinned: O’Gara (53-63).

Referee: Dave Pearson (England).