Teenager Ruadhán Quinn gives Munster reasons to cheer despite defeat

Graham Rowntree may have grimaced through his first half as a head coach but an off-pace Munster at least gave reasons for encouragement with a second-half resurgence

DREAM DEBUT: Munster's Ruadhan Quinn celebrates scoring a try. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Pre-season friendly 

Munster 19 Gloucester 28

Graham Rowntree may have grimaced through his first half as a head coach high in the Musgrave Park stand but an off-pace Munster at least gave reasons for encouragement with a second-half resurgence.

Munster never threatened to win this pre-season opener after trailing 21-0 at the break but 18-year-old Ruadhán Quinn at least signed off the game with its greatest outburst of joy.

Crescent College’s Munster Schools Senior Cup hero Quinn played an unplanned 77 minutes after Jack O’Sullivan’s early removal with an apparent head injury and five minutes from time, he showed plenty of energy reserves to bash his way to a first Munster try. That dream try only enhanced by the fact it was assisted by All Black World Cup-winner Malakai Fekitoa, who also made a strong impact on his Munster debut.

Debutant head coach Rowntree introduced four further first-timers in Chris Moore, Paddy Kelly, Edwin Edogbo, and Conor Phillips, while Crosshaven prop Bryan O’Connor had a late cameo for Gloucester.

Munster’s experimentation was most evident in the pack. Of the 16 forwards used, their average age amounted to a callow 22.5 years old. Captain Jack O’Donoghue and Liam O’Connor, far from rugby pensioners, the only two pushing beyond 24 years old.

Perhaps Munster missed the leadership of their Ireland internationals or perhaps Gloucester, with fewer absent internationals and an earlier kick-off to their season, are simply a few weeks ahead in their preparations.

Gloucester, starting with a strong deck, dominated the pack from the off.

It took only 18 seconds for Munster to turnover possession, coughing up an immediate ruck penalty, and 80 seconds for them to concede a first try. Gloucester sealed their line out, Adam Hastings had time and space to pick a cross kick, as had Ollie Thorley in collecting in goal. Hastings’ conversion made it 7-0.

It got worse three minutes later. Another penalty, another attacking line-out, and Ben Healy finding himself dragged into, and then pulling down, the advancing Gloucester maul. The fly-half receiving the first, and likely one of the fastest, Munster sin-binnings of the season.

Gloucester’s attack resembled the tide in all blue as they pummelled Denis Leamy’s Munster defence from a platform of six attacking line-outs in the opening dozen minutes; a Keynan Knox turnover and some fine Shane Daly defence crucial in stopping further breaches.

A Neil Cronin turnover and offload set up O’Donoghue to break into the Gloucester 22 but just as Munster looked to establish some pressure, Healy’s pass was picked off by Chris Harris who jogged the length of the field to score. Hastings converted. 14-0 to end the first quarter.

Tom Seabrook fumbled forward to deny the visitors a certain third try but it merely postponed the pain to the 32nd minute. A seventh line-out retained and Mark Atkinson’s sidestep made the space for Harris to score with an angled drive. 21-0 after Hastings’ conversion.

Gloucester dominated the half-time substitutions count too, making 14 changes to Munster’s seven, while maintaining their dominance through the opening seven minutes. With Jack Crowley and Patterson showing more endeavour at half-back, and Fekitoa getting through plenty of work outside them, Munster slowly began to grab a foothold.

We doubt catching sight of their replacements togging off fired them up but in the space of five minutes, Calvin Nash and Alex Kendellen grabbed tries with their final touches before being replaced.

Paddy Kelly caught his first line-out in Munster senior colours as Munster worked the ball crossfield for their wingers to combine, Daly slipping in Nash on 55 minutes. Crowley pulled the conversion wide.

Then, a series of pick-and-go carries saw Kendellen dive under the posts, with Crowley’s kick cutting the gap to nine before the hour mark, 21-12.

Jack Reeves hit back for Gloucester six minutes later, stretching to touch down in the far corner as Lloyd Evans added the extras, but Quinn sent the crowd home with something to cheer in defeat.

Scorers for Munster: Tries: C Nash, A Kendellen, R Quinn; Cons: J Crowley 2.

Scorers for Gloucester: Tries: C Harris 2; O Thorley, J Reeves; Cons: A Hastings 3, L Evans.

MUNSTER: S Zebo (L Coombes 55); C Nash (C Phillips 55), C Farrell (D Goggin h-t), R Scannell (M Fekitoa h-t), S Daly (T Butler 69); B Healy (J Crowley h-t), N Cronin (P Patterson h-t); J Wycherley (L O’Connor h-t), D Barron (S Buckley h-t, C Moore 67), K Knox (R Salanoa h-t); C Hurley (E Edogbo 51), E O’Connor (P Kelly 51); J O’Donoghue (capt) (Hurley 67), A Kendellen (D Okeke 60), J O’Sullivan (R Quinn 3, inj).

Sin bin: B Healy (6-16).

GLOUCESTER (first half): K Moyle; T Seabrook, C Harris, M Atkinson, O Thorley; A Hastings, C Chapman; H Elrington, J Singleton, F Balmain; F Clarke, A Clark; R Ackermann (capt), H Taylor, B Morgan.

GLOUCESTER (second half): R Dunn; J Reeves, B Twelvetrees (capt), G Kveseladze, J Morris; L Evans, S Varney; C Knight (B O’Connor 73), H Walker, J Ford-Robinson; A Davidson, A Clark; C Jordan, F Thomas, J Clement.

Referee: P Martin (IRFU).