Rowntree: 'We are the world's specialists at leaving ourselves a tough job'

MAKING LIFE DIFFICULT: Munster captain Tadhg Beirne after his side's defeat in the Investec Champions Cup Pool 3 Round 2 match against Exeter Chiefs. Pic:  Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Graham Rowntree declared Munster the “world leaders” in make life difficult for themselves after defeat in Exeter left them with a difficult path to the Champions Cup knockout rounds.

Munster’s self-inflicted 32-24 defeat at Exeter Chiefs yesterday has left the URC champions with just three points from two matches, having been held to a draw at home by Bayonne in the opening round. Now they have it all to do with two matches remaining after Christmas, a trip to Toulon on January 13 followed by the visit of Northampton Saints to Thomond Park seven days later.

They will go into the trip to Toulon’s Stade Felix-Mayol in fifth place on the six-team pool table, six points behind leaders Exeter and second-placed Northampton, both of whom have won two from two.

"We are the world's specialists at leaving ourselves a tough job and making things hard for ourselves,” head coach Rowntree said last night. “Factually, the world leaders in making life tough for ourselves. We'll deal with that when it comes.

"We'll come in Tuesday and have a look at it. We've got a massive game against Leinster next week at Thomond Park and then Connacht in an inter-provincial, then we're back into Europe and we'll see how the cards fall.

"In that final round, we've got Saints at home in the middle of January. We'll see where we're at. We've got to go to Toulon, that will be brilliant. What a stadium to go to, to play a game of rugby. What a challenge for us in Toulon. Then Saints and at the end of that game, we'll see where we are as group.”

"It's never over, is it? The game's never over,” Rowntree continued. “We did some great things, scored some cracking tries, got the four-try bonus point doing some good things. I'd reiterate that - we did some pretty good things tonight.

"But some things just got away from us. They got away from us. I'm really frustrated with the last try, the circumstances around that. Their third try was just crazy, against the run of play.

"We turned around at half time, didn't change much tactically. Our kicking game wasn't as strong but I'm really frustrated with those last two tries we conceded against a great team.

"I'm hugely frustrated."

Rowntree pointed to a lack of composure for his team’s defeat at Sandy Park, having taken a 24-13 lead into the last half hour through first-half tries from Calvin Nash, Tom Ahern and Antoine Frisch before a 50th minute score from Shane Daly to earn Munster a try bonus point. Then came the collapse, converted tries from Chiefs replacement forwards Ross Vincent and former Leinster player Jack Dunne just after the hour putting the home side into a 27-24 lead before Henry Slade’s try at the death.

Rowntree was also frustrated by some of Munster’s decision-making and errors as well as other decisions by referee Mathieu Raynal.

"I'll have to calm down and have another look.

"It got away from us. We didn't take our foot off the pedal, it's just the circumstances around our composure. You look at the lineout at the end there, we try to move the ball off that and Conor (Murray) unfortunately knocks the ball on. Those moments."

"So much good stuff tonight in our game, both sides of the ball, then it just got away from us in that last quarter,” Rowntree said. “I don't think it's a fitness thing, I don't think it's a tactical thing or a substitution thing. You just look at the moment we've got to be better in. That's all I've got for you."