Sceptical Elwood fumes over late front-row substitution

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood stopped short of using the term gamesmanship to describe Munster’s last ditch decision to change their loose head prop in the dying minutes of the Magners League clash of the sides at the Sportsground last night — but he was less than happy with the call.

Munster were clinging on to a 16-12 lead with flanker Niall Ronan in the bin when loose head prop Wian Du Preez was summoned to return to the action having been tactically replaced ten minutes earlier by Dave Ryan. The visitors’ scrum, augmented by winger Denis Hurley at number eight, stabilised as a result and they held out to claim the points and move seven ahead at the top of the table.

“We played a nice bit of rugby at the end and created a few scoring opportunities and then came the scrum,” said Elwood. “We seemed to be racing them over the line when they made a change for an injury and that made a huge difference, for Du Preez is a very good scrummager. We lost a little bit of momentum and couldn’t take the chance.”