RED LETTER DAY
Munster shut out their old European rivals with a dominant bonus-point triumph at Thomond Park
IT wasn’t quite his Thomond Park swansong, but Jaco Taute reminded Munster fans how much he will be missed when he returns to South Africa at the end of the month in this storming bonus-point win for Rassie Erasmus’ side.
Taute ran in two second-half tries and won his side a penalty try as Munster inflicted a record European defeat on their old rivals Leicester Tigers, who looked a ragged, limited outfit.
Four penalties from Tyler Bleyendaal and Simon Zebo’s try, brilliantly set up by Conor Murray, saw Munster 19-0 ahead at the break, while another dominant 40 minutes from Taute saw Munster across the line as they kept a second team scoreless under Jacques Nienaber’s defensive schooling.
The sides meet again next weekend at Welford Road, and after this result and performance it is hard to se how Tigers – who had three players sin-binned – can pick themselves up.
In every area of the park Munster were utterly dominant. They ruled the set-piece, dominated in the air and took no pity on the flagging Tigers.
It was two minutes before we saw the first Munster garryowen head towards the Leicester back three, but the sight of the ball dropping from the sky towards them became a familiar sight for European debutant George Worth and co.
While Munster were far from one dimensional, they certainly identified the aerial route as one that would reap dividends – and they continually opted for the boot as an exit strategy and attacking tactic.
On the right wing Darren Sweetnam was often the main kick chaser and his prowess in the air often saw Munster eat into Tigers’ territory.
But Leicester didn’t help themselves either. It was a rare occurrence that they entered Munster territory and any time they had ball in hand they appeared devoid of ideas as their isolated ball carriers were devoured by Munster’s hungry pack at the breakdown.
Discipline was also a massive issue for the Premiership side who conceded eight penalties before the interval, and also saw second-row Ed Slater sin-binned seven minutes from half-time after he conceded his third penalty and referee Romain Poite lost patience.
With chances to kick for goal handed on a plate to Bleyendaal, the New Zealander slowly added to Munster’s tally throughout the half as his four kicks at goal gave the home side a 12-0 lead after 27 minutes.
The first of those penalties came in the 11th minutes when Brendon O’Connor dived off his feet at the ruck, and four minutes later Owen Williams was caught offside on the 10-metre line and Bleyendaal made it 6-0.
Freddie Burns lacked the distance with a long range kick of his own midway through the half, and after Worth infringed when he was rucked off the ball following another garryowen, Bleyendaal landed his third kick.
Slater was sent to the sin bin when he took Peter O’Mahony out in the lineout – Bleyendaal missed the subsequent penalty – but with the man extra to play with Munster crossed for their first try four minutes from the break.
There was a notable increase in Munster intensity as their pack rolled through eight quick phases, and after O’Mahony was stopped short of the line, Conor Murray sent Zebo over with the sweetest of inside passes as he drew the drift defence to create a hole. The conversion was simple for Bleyendaal, as his fifth successful kick of the half gave his side a 19-0 half-time lead. There was certainly an improvement in attitude from Leicester after the restart, but Munster’s outstanding first up tackling and determination to deny them any scoring chance soon wore down their eagerness. And 11 minutes into the half Taute struck for the home side to put the win beyond doubt. The try came off a powerful maul and Niall Scannell’s underhand offload sent Murray down the short side. He was stopped short, but Taute’s brilliant line was picked out by the scrum-half a couple of phases later and he couldn’t be stopped. Even with the introduction of some replacements, Munster continued to dominate totally and six minutes after his first, Taute crossed again for his fifth try of the season. It was Sweetnam’s dancing feet and brilliant offload in the tackle that opened Tigers’ defence though, and the powerful centre made it 31-0.
Things went from bad to worse for Leicester in the 59th minute when Manu Tuilagi was sin-binned when he crashed dangerously into a ruck with no hands.
The only question in the closing stages was if Munster would claim the try bonus point and nine minutes from time it arrived. Again Sweetnam sent Taute clear, but after the centre chipped through and was tackled by Worth, Poite awarded the penalty try and flashed a yellow to the full-back. It was a procession.