MUNDANE Van Graan’s disappointed with Reds reverse..
..but it’s a very different story for on fire Lowe and his Blues
MUNSTER coach Johann van Graan has warned his players they need to take responsibility for defeat in Cardiff and bounce back against Glasgow this weekend.
Conference A leaders Warriors visit Cork in a massive game at the top of the table but the Reds lost ground after they could only pick up a losing bonus point at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday.
Van Graan said: “It’s about the team taking ownership, we all knew when we came in at half-time that it wasn’t good enough.
“I look for the positives. It was a very good response from all 23 players to get it from 19-0 down back to 19-15 but at the end we let it slip.
“We will now have a look at it unemotionally. We’ll get back into camp and reassess and go forward from there.”
Van Graan made 10 changes to his side after their bonus point win over Zebre, with back row Jack O’donoghue appointed captain for the first time and lock Gerbrandt Grobler given his first start.
The visitors fell 19-0 behind coming up to half-time after tries from Macauley Cook, Lloyd Williams and Owen Lane but the efforts of Chris Cloete and Stephen Fitzgerald helped Munster remain competitive.
“I’ve learned a lot as a coach in seeing a lot of these guys for the first time, we’ll make a few changes again for next week,” added van Graan.
“We’ve got Glasgow at home and they’re the form team in the competition at this stage. We’ll have to plan very well for them.
“They’re a fantastic side under Dave Rennie and we’ll have to be at our best to beat them.”
Meanwhile, Leinster winger James Lowe has thrown down the gauntlet to the province’s Ireland stars after the Blues registered an impressive victory over reigning PRO14 champions Scarlets.
The 25-year-old former Chief made it four tries in as many league games as he dotted down twice and Leinster took control of Conference B at the RDS on Saturday.
“It doesn’t matter who comes down from that international set-up, they have got to catch back up to us,” said Lowe.
“We are there doing work and just making sure we can be the best we can. If we can get internationals back it’s awesome.
“If not we have got boys who can step up week in week out through this Six Nations period.”