Reds heading in right direction but need to cure away-day blues

IT SEEMS strange to suggest so, especially after another defeat on the road, but all things considered Saturday was probably Munster’s best performance this season.

The reality for Johann van Graan’s side however, is that Leinster are ahead of them and not even the staunchest Munster supporter would argue against that.

Sure you can say that a couple of refereeing calls didn’t go in their favour and also that they were only narrowly beaten again, yet you always felt that Leinster had enough in the tank to come away with the win.

Three defeats in Munster’s three away games will not sit well ahead of an extremely difficult trip to Sandy Park to take on an unbeaten Exeter Chiefs side who are flying high at the top of the Premiership.

That said, there were certainly enough positives at the Aviva to suggest that Munster are indeed heading in the right direction.

They dominated territory and possession as they asked plenty of questions of Leinster’s resolute defence.

Leinster had to make 167 tackles compared to Munster’s 79, but it was what they did with the ball that will mean Van Graan isn’t pressing the panic button just yet.

The Munster pack really fronted up and were hugely aggressive at scrum time and the breakdown, which is more than what you can say about their previous two away defeats in Glasgow and Cardiff.

The maul was also a weapon with Tadhg Beirne and Jean Kleyn showing signs of forming a formidable partnership in the engine room.

Sometimes you just come up against a better team and while Leinster weren’t at full strength, the players are so comfortable in their own skin right now that it is difficult to see who can stop them this season.

One of the major positives to come out of the defeat was how well Munster varied the point of their attack.

At times in recent seasons, Munster have been far too predictable and lateral with ball in hand. With Joey Carbery calling the shots now however, that has all changed.

Carbery might not have lit up the Aviva, but there was a lot to admire in certain aspects of his play.

Given the strength of their backthree, Munster are always likely to use the aerial route, yet Carbery kept Leinster guessing with some fine kicks in behind their defence as well as his usual crisp passing, which put his side on the front foot.

As well as Dan Goggin performed, Rory Scannell is set to start in Exeter on Saturday and his return will add another dynamic to the attack.

If Munster are to pull off what would be one of the best European wins in their recent history, Alby Matthewson’s fitness is crucial too.

We saw again how important he has become in such a short space of time and that he was left on for a couple of minutes whilst hobbling on one leg suggested that the trust is perhaps not there in the back-up scrum-halves – at least the ones who are currently fit and available.

Luxuries

Leinster were able to roll the likes of Cian Healy and Josh van der Flier off the bench, but Munster do not have such luxuries and the fact that Stephen Archer played 75 minutes ahead of two huge weeks was far from ideal.

For all of the positives, Munster still lost the game and they won’t need to be told that they will have to take their performance up another level when they go to Exeter.

Leinster barely escaped from Sandy Park with a win in last season’s Champions Cup pool stages, with the coaches and players agreeing that they were one of the best sides they faced.

Exeter put 39 points on Bath on Friday night, which gives them an extra days’ rest ahead of Munster’s visit. They have picked up where they left off last season and arguably look even stronger again.

Munster are not far off clicking though and the biggest problem they face this week is that anything less than their best will see them come up short against England’s pace setters.

The new combinations throughout their team have had time to develop, and now with their backs against the wall, it’s time to deliver a more complete performance.

Exeter put 39 points on Bath on Friday night, which gives them an extra days’ rest ahead of Munster’s visit.