Cool coach praises ruthless Munster’s ‘sharp’ display

Anthony Foley has never been one to gloat, and true to form, he was cool and calculated in his attitude after last night’s clear-cut victory for Munster over Saracens.

While full of praise for his side’s performance against last year’s beaten finalists, and stressing the importance of depriving the English side a bonus point, he knows there’s still a long road to travel in this extremely difficult European Champions Cup pool.

“We capitalised straightaway when they went down to 14 men, after that we just had to consolidate and make sure we won the game, and I thought we did that very comfortably,” said Foley whose team will now top the “group of death” after the second weekend of the new competition. “It’s the small stuff that wins these big games. The boys were sharp tonight, they were sharp all week, and they came out and showed that. They never flinched and when they got into the opposition 22, they were ruthless.

“Dave Kilcoyne’s try was a massive boost for the player himself and the team. We have James (Cronin) and Dave fighting it out for the loose head place, they’re both international players and I’ve got to manage that situation. I believe I can get the best out of both and if that’s the case, then we all benefit. To get the result last week in the way we did was huge for us because we’ve tended to give points away in the first game in the past.

“To get that and then back it up after a six-day turnaround with a very physical performance was special and these guys can be delighted with that. We’ve got to dust ourselves down now and prepare for a Pro 12 fixture next week but we’ll enjoy the moment, we’ll enjoy tonight, it’s good to be in this position but there’s nothing won yet.”

Scrum-half Conor Murray was voted man of the match and once again demonstrated that he is now one of the best number nines in the game. Apart from fulfilling his primary duties to perfection, his tackling and threat when close to the opposition line make him an invaluable member of the Munster and Ireland sides.

“We got out of jail last week and needed to put that right this time and I think we did that really well tonight,” said Murray. “We kept on the pressure, didn’t try and rush it or try miracle plays. We played in the right areas of the pitch at the right times and got our reward. We really went for the kill when their man went off. We got a penalty down into their 22 and converted that into a try.

“That gave us a huge lift and allowed us to push on and win another penalty on top of that, and converted that as well and that was crucial. Sometimes, Saracens can come back fighting but we stuck in there and stayed with our game plan. We were patient and then Killer (Dave Kilcoyne) scored a try in less than 30 seconds on the pitch. He’ll be delighted with that and it goes to show the depth of our squad. He came on, knew the call straightaway and executed it well.

“I was pleased with my own game but, look, it’s all about playing the game in the right areas of the pitch, especially against Saracens. There’s so much kicking that at times it becomes boring but you can’t get bored, you’ve got to play in the right areas and not try to force the play.”