Munster secure vital bonus point win against the Lions
BONUS POINT: Munster's Liam Coombes celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's fourth try of the match. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
Munster’s climb into BKT United Rugby Championship play-off contention continued on Friday night as they claimed a valuable bonus-point victory over the Lions in Cork.
Graham Rowntree’s team picked up their second win in six days following their New Year’s Day derby victory at Ulster and had to do it in the teeth of driving rain throughout.
Munster claimed five tries, book-ended by a double from hooker Scott Buckley, on after just four minutes after a shoulder injury ended Diarmuid Barron’s participation, with captain Jack O’Donoghue also scoring before half-time. Scrum-half Paddy Patterson added a third 10 minutes into the second half before late tries from Liam Coombes and Buckley again completed the win.
It was Munster’s fourth URC win in their last five starts, their only defeat in that spell coming at home in Limerick to Leinster on December 26 and the Reds had started the evening in ninth place, a point outside the all-important top eight qualifying spots, seven points off a top-four position which would guarantee a home play-off draw at the end of the season.
It was a sell-out 8008 crowd which braved the conditions and the omens were good, Munster’s last league defeat in Cork had come in November 2019 against Edinburgh although once again they were missing their frontline Ireland internationals, Tadhg Beirne, Joey Carbery, and captain Peter O’Mahony, due to the IRFU’s player welfare protocols. Yet Rowntree’s men made light of their absences against a side two places below them in the table.
The driving rain must have made things uncomfortable for the Johannesburg team, leaving the altitude and heat of their home city and pitching up in such desperate conditions but it did not prevent the South African side enjoying scrum dominance on a night that provided plenty of set-piece opportunities. It was a ruck penalty that allowed them to score the opening points, however, as fly-half Jordan Hendrikse kicked the Lions into a 3-0 lead after four minutes.
Munster hit straight back, winning a lineout penalty over halfway, which Healy kicked to the left corner, and from there the pack launched a driving maul to which the Lions had no answer. Buckley claiming the second try of his fledgling Munster senior career on 10 minutes having scored his first on debut against Wasps 13 months earlier.
With handling made difficult by the persistent downpour, the Lions were able to build pressure through their scrummaging prowess but though they eked several penalties during a 10-minute siege which began with a Healy knock-on, Munster survived with their goal line intact and then punished the visitors failure to score by adding a second try on 29 minutes. O’Donoghue breaking the line with a pick up from the back of a ruck on the edge of the 22 and darting to the tryline, then picking and going from the next ruck to grab the try from close range.
In the week that Healy’s move from Munster to Edinburgh for next season was confirmed, the Tipperary-born academy graduate was handed his first URC start since October 7 at Connacht and he made no mistake with his second conversion attempt.
The form of both Carbery and Jack Crowley had blocked his access to game time yet the 23-year-old had made a match-winning return in Belfast, coming off the bench to kick a penalty and then convert his own try in overtime to secure a 15-14 win.
In Cork six days later, his 30th minute conversion opened a 12-3 lead Munster were able to take into the half-time break. It was not long after the restart that Healy was performing a similar task, this time from in front of the posts after his half-back partner Paddy Patterson had scampered under the posts in the 50th minute.
The conversion gave Munster a 19-3 lead with 30 minutes remaining, a try bonus point their next objective. Yet their most recent visit to Musgrave Park had ended in disappointment in that regard. They had been three tries to the good against Zebre in September but failed to get the fourth try in a frustrating second half.
History looked to be repeating itself as this second period progressed, especially when Healy kicked a penalty to the corner on 74 minutes only for the resulting lineout to misfire with the concession of a free-kick.
Yet the relief was palpable as the crowd rose to its feet just a minute later to salute an excellent finish from Liam Coombes, who came off his right wing with a mazy run to round the last two defenders and claim that all-important fourth try.
This appears to be a much more efficient Munster side four months on from that failure to put to Zebre to the sword. Confidence is building after a shaky start to life under new management and their return to Cork showcased a more composed team much more adept at converting territory and possession into points.
Healy added the conversion to put the game beyond the Lions with a 23-point margin and there was still time to add a killer blow as Buckley was driven over the line in the final minute for his second try of the night, converted by Healy.
Munster can now turn their attention back to Europe and the visit of Northampton Saints to Thomond Park next Saturday afternoon for a penultimate Heineken Champions Cup pool match, their domestic situation now looking a whole lot more comfortable.
M Haley (P Campbell, 54); L Coombes, M Fekitoa, R Scannell (D Goggin, 59), S Daly; B Healy, P Patterson (C Murray, 59); J Wycherley (D Kilcoyne, 32), D Barron (S Buckley, 4), R Salanoa (S Archer, 44); J Kleyn (C Hurley, 56), G Coombes; J O'Donoghue - captain, J Hodnett (J O'Sullivan, 71), A Kendellen.
Q Horn; S Pienaar, H van Wyk (M Rass, 56), M Louw - captain, E van der Merwe; J Hendrikse (G Lombard, h-t), M van den Berg (A Warner, 78); JP Smith (M Naude, 50-73), PJ Botha (M van Vuuren, 70), A Ntlabakanye (R Smith, 65); R Venter (W Alberts, 44), D Landsberg; J Cairns (S Sangweni, 70), E van Heerden, E Tshituka.
Hollie Davidson (Scotland).
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