Snyman returns as Munster secure bonus point victory against Scarlets
ENTER SNYMAN: BKT United Rugby Championship, Musgrave Park, Cork 3/3/2023
Munster claimed a bonus-point victory at Musgrave Park to maintain their hunt for a home BKT United Rugby Championship quarter-final draw as RG Snyman made his long-awaited return from serious injury.
Graham Rowntree’s side made it five wins in a row in the league with what should have been a comprehensive win in front of a sell-out crowd in Cork that roared its approval as Snyman’s entry into the action on 63 minutes following a 17-month absence every bit as much as the seven tries scored in perfect conditions.
Two tries apiece from wings Shane Daly and Calvin Nash led the way with Patrick Campbell, Paddy Patterson and Gavin Coombes also scoring yet Munster conceded five second-half tries to make it a much closer contest than it had appeared when the home side took a 35-7 lead into the half-time break.
The 8,008 in attendance had paid tribute to the rugby lives of both Tom Tierney and Brian O’Brien, each of whom was laid to rest in Limerick this week, with a minute’s applause.
And there was plenty more to celebrate for the home supporters as Munster made short work of a Scarlets challenge that initially did not live up to their recent good form having won their last six games across both the European Challenge Cup and URC. That came to a crashing halt.
Munster racked up the try bonus point in just 27 minutes as they raced into a 28-0 lead. Full-back Patrick Campbell opening the scoring after just two minutes 30 seconds thanks to a classy offload out of the back of the hand form Antoine Frisch.
Wings Calvin Nash and Shane Daly added a try apiece before scrum-half Paddy Patterson exposed some weak Scarlets defending to score the fourth, Joey Carbery converting all four tries off the kicking tee.
Scarlets, who like Munster had come into the contest having won four URC games in a row, had lost playmaking full-back Johnny McNicholl to injury after 18 minutes and did not trouble the scoreboard until five minutes before half-time when centre Joe Roberts struck in the corner after the home side failed to adequately clear their lines after a ruck turnover five metres in front of the posts, with fly-half Sam Costelow converting.
Yet Munster had the final say of the opening period, Daly claiming his second of the half as the Scarlets left a gaping hole at the side of a ruck, Patterson’s pop pass allowing his wing a free pass through their defensive line for the fifth try of the night.
Carbery kicked the conversion to maintain his 100 percent record from the tee and Munster went in at the break with a commanding 35-7 lead.
Scarlets made inroads to their deficit just six minutes after the restart, a lineout their platform with powerful lock Vaea Fifita also exploiting a gap in the Munster line and sprinting clear from the 22 to score by the posts.
Costelow converted but the home side soon re-established their advantage, Gavin Coombes crashing over from short range within four minutes and Carbery adding another conversion to make it 42-14.
Scarlets were finally making an impression, however, their influential No.8 Sione Kalamafoni clattering over on 55 minutes with Costelow adding his third conversion from three attempts as the game opened up amidst a string of substitutions.
The wait for Snyman’s entrance went on, though, with the Musgrave Park crowd applauding his every venture down the sideline to warm-up with an ever decreasing number of fellow bench-warmers.
Just he and back rower Alex Kendellen remained as Scarlets gained a bonus point of their own on the hour mark as lock Sam Lousi was the next to cross the Munster tryline, Costelow adding the extra two points to cut the home side’s lead to 16 points.
It was October 21 when the South African World Cup winner limped out of a game against the same opposition having ruptured his ACL for the second time in two years but Snyman’s time came soon after.
The Springbok’s giant 6ft 10 frame ambling towards the touchline, there came a word of encouragement from water carrier Simon Zebo, a cheer as he peeled off his yellow bib and then a roar as he replaced fellow lock Jean Kleyn on 63 minutes.
Snyman was quickly into the action as Munster mauled inside the Scarlets 22 as Rowntree’s men powered over for their seventh try of the night, Nash grabbing his second of the game with Carbery’s replacement Jack Crowley converting.
Yet Scarlets were not giving up hope of leaving Cork with two bonus points and late tries from replacement scrum-half Gareth Davies and Thomas Rogers, both converted by Costelow did just that to end the night in frustrating fashion.
P Campbell; C Nash, A Frisch, M Fekitoa, S Daly (J Carbery, 77); J Carbery (J Crowley, 53), P Patterson (E Coughlan, 56); J Wycherley (M Donnelly, 48), D Barron (N Scannell, 48, Barron 63), R Salanoa; J Kleyn (RG Snyman, 63), F Wycherley (K Knox, 48); J O’Donoghue – captain (J O’Sullivan, 52), J Hodnett (A Kendellen, 68), G Coombes.
J McNicholl (J Williams, 18); T Rogers, J Roberts, I Nicholas, S Evans; S Costelow, D Blacker (G Davies, 45); K Mathias (S Thomas, 55), S Evans (T Davies, 55), S Wainwright (J Sebastian, 45); V Fifita (D Jones, 65), S Lousi; J Macleod – captain (C Tuipulotu, 63), D Davis, S Kalamafoni.
M Jones.
Ben Blain (Scotland)
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