STORM CLOUDS GATHER
Reds snatch defeat from jaws of victory in the rain once again
GRAHAM ROWNTREE admitted Munster lost their way – after coughing up yet another Champions Cup lead.
The Reds are into the last 16 thanks to their superb victory in Toulon eight days ago.
But boss Rowntree lamented his side’s failure to deal with the conditions as the pattern of previous pool games repeated itself.
This time the reigning URC champions led 14man Northampton Saints 20-10 courtesy of Gavin Coombes’ 48th minute try.
But the Premiership leaders grew stronger as the rain got heavier and, with young half-backs Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith guiding the visitors’ attack, Sam Graham’s converted 72nd minute try clinched a famous victory.
“We spoke at half-time about how it wasn’t just going to happen against 14 men,” said Reds boss Rowntree (inset).
Saints hooker Curtis Langdon was red carded for catching Tom
Ahern in the face with his knee, forcing the Munster forward off – and, at the time, the visitors were also without skipper George Furbank, who was in the bin for a tip tackle on Alex Nankivell.
“Second-half we came out and immediately gave some soft penalties away.
“And then we were doing things that we had spoken about not doing with the ball, run- ning when we meant to kick and kicking when we meant to run.
“The game just got away from us a bit, we were playing into the wind, and they grew a leg, didn’t they? We lost our way.”
Rowntree was asked if he was concerned about the pattern of defeats – with losses being snatched from the jaws of victory.
“I would say it’s more the conditions,” he replied.
“We have got to be better at managing the conditions. That’s been proven over the last few weeks.
“A week ago we were in the sun, high ball in play – and look at the conditions today against 14 men in the second-half and we just lost our way, what we were doing with the ball, we lost our way.
“I’ve got nothing more technical than that at the moment.”
Munster skipper Tadhg Beirne afreed with the head coach.
“As Wig (Rowntree) said we still have a bit to learn about managing those conditions better,” he said afterwards.
“It’s not just been today, it’s been Connacht, Exeter, Leinster on Stephen’s Day – they’re all games where conditions were against us and we just didn’t play them well enough.
“We seriously need to sit down and actually properly learn from those, because we don’t want to be sat here saying the same thing again,” he stressed. MUNSTER: Tries: Frisch, O’mahony, Coombes Cons: Crowley Pens: Crowley 2 NORTHAMPTON: Tries: Mitchell, Graham Cons: Smith 2 Pens: Smith 3 Drop-goal: Smith