Another poor start sees Munster end pre-season winless
IMPACT: Malakai Fekitoa of Munster is tackled by Caolan Englefield of London Irish during the pre-season friendly match between Munster and London Irish at Musgrave Park in Cork. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
A mirror image of Munster’s pre-season opener at Musgrave Park as a first-half whitewash was followed by Munster doing enough to win the second half, but not the match.
Graham Rowntree said his players were “distraught” with their performance, in particular the first half, as they ended pre-season with two home defeats.
“The dressing room you felt like we’d lost by 30 points,” he reflected, “because they’re distraught with their own mistakes and not taking opportunities.”
Paddy Jackson, leading the Exiles as captain, was applauded as he collected the Jack Wakefield Memorial Trophy after a thunderstorm broke on the stroke of full-time. In the shelter of the stand, Declan Kidney could cheer a successful return to Cork ahead of their real business beginning next week.
Munster, 21-0 behind at half-time last week against Gloucester were again held to nought, 12-0 down at the break. Nine points better off, maybe, but it felt worse. While Munster threw three interceptions inside the opposition 22 in the opening quarter last week, they failed to muster a single possession in the London Irish 22 all half.
When they did find a cutting edge with eight changes at half-time, Munster displayed much more of what they can do. There were tries for Mike Haley and Paddy Patterson, much deserved for the scrum-half’s impressive performances across both games, with Malakai Fekitoa and his debutant centre partner Antoine Frisch causing havoc with their thumping carries.
Unlike last week, Munster got within range of the victory but London Irish showed resilience in refusing to allow Munster far beyond halfway in those closing five minutes; two penalties at the breakdown sealing it for the visitors.
But for the change of ends, Munster’s start was unchanged.
The Reds defence was breached for a try after 80 seconds last week. London Irish made Gloucester look ponderous, by comparison, James Stokes accelerating through an outnumbered Munster wide defence inside 76 seconds.
What was worse, as Jackson placed the kicking tee, was that Munster again saw a player walk off with a head knock as their opponents kicked a third-minute conversion. Jack O’Sullivan last week, Calvin Nash this time.
Munster’s set piece, unerring on their line-out and scrums last week, began to falter. They retained only two of five line-outs (a trend that continued into the second half), compared to Irish hanging on to 11 of 12 throws. It cost Munster on 27 minutes, the closest they came to the Irish ‘red zone’, an overthrown line-out followed by a scrum penalty just outside the 22.
They conceded a penalty again at the next London Irish line-out and although the visitors were also guilty of errors, they eventually extended their lead on 36 minutes. Two consecutive turnovers by Ollie Hassell-Collins created the opportunity, Benhard van Rensburg battered his way to the five-metre line, and they went through the hands for Matt Williams to touch down in the right corner. Jackson kicked wide. 12-0 at the break. A 33-0 aggregate first-half deficit across pre-season.
A penalty finally allowed Munster to breach the Irish 22 on 43 minutes but it was upon their re-entry, four minutes later, that Munster made their mark on the scoreboard.
Fekitoa, involved in all three tries last week, was the spark in another full-blooded performance. If this is his level for pre-season, we wonder what earthquakes he may unleash on big European days.
After Shane Daly’s initial break, Fekitoa picked from a ruck, offloaded in contact to Patterson, who unleashed Mike Haley down the wing; the full-back muscling his way to the try-line. Jack Crowley kicked an impressive conversion.
Errors continued to cost Munster as teenage English international Henry Arundell made an immediate impact. Alex Harmes steamed through and sent the full-back in to score as Jacob Atkins converted.
Munster came back to pound the Irish line and Patterson, off fumbled ruck ball, produced two silky sidesteps to dive over. Crowley cut the gap to five but that was as close as Munster got.
Tries: M Haley, P Patterson; Cons: J Crowley 2.
Tries: J Stokes, M Williams, H Arundell; Cons: P Jackson, J Atkins.
S Zebo (M Haley h-t) (T Butler 77); C Nash (L Coombes 3 inj), C Farrell (A Frisch h-t), R Scannell (M Fekitoa h-t), S Daly; B Healy (J Crowley h-t), N Cronin (P Patterson h-t); J Wycherley (L O’Connor h-t), S Buckley (D Barron h-t) (C Moore 65), K Knox (R Salanoa 57); J Kleyn (E Edogbo 57), E O’Connor (T Ahern h-t); F Wycherley (C Hurley 66), J O’Donoghue (capt), A Kendellen (D Okeke 51 inj).
J Stokes (H Arundell 60); M Williams (W Joseph 60), C Rona (T Hitchcock 60), B van Rensburg (L Morisi 60), O Hassell-Collins (A Harmes 60); P Jackson (capt) (J Atkins 60) (P Jackson 69 inj), B White (C Englefield 51); F Gigena (D Fischetti 48), M Cornish (I Miller 48), O Hoskins (L Chawatama 42 inj); R Simmons (J Caulfield 60), A Coleman (A Ratuniyarawa 60); B Donnell (J Cooke 60), T Pearson (I Curtis-Harris 60), J Basham (C Cunningham-South 60).
C Busby (IRFU).
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