Hard to swallow but easy to like
Munster find their mojo in agonising loss to offer Rowntree hope for future...
ABITTERSWEET day for Munster. An occasion when their European hopes were dashed for yet another season in the cruelest of fashions. There will be plenty of chat and analysis on their game management, their struggling scrum and tactics. Blowing a 10-point lead when they had Toulouse on the ropes. The costly missed kicks. The ill-fated penalty shoot-out.
Yet, for all that, there was cause for optimism and hope for the future. Johann van Graan, who looked broken after the final whistle, is moving on. As are Stephen Larkham and JP Ferreira. Three quarters of a coaching set-up all heading for the exit door.
There is still a chance for the Van Graan coaching ticket to land a title in the URC, but the form of Leinster and the South African sides are major roadblocks. The trophy cabinet looks destined to remain bare for yet another season.
The time feels right for a new chapter, new voices and new ideas
There’s no shortage of homegrown talent to develop and nurture
across the board. The raw material is clearly there. The fan base as well. This is still a big gig. This performance has to be the benchmark for this group, going forward, now. If Munster can replicate this on a regular basis, they be knocking on the door for titles down the road.
Graham Rowntree is stepping up next season and there is the nucleus of a squad which can reach the next level in the years ahead.
Their attack clearly needs work. Just as well a top operator from Paris is on the way.
No doubt, Mike Prendergast was watching on with interest from his home in the French capital.
Racing 92 are in action against Sale Sharks this afternoon. So, the former Munster scrum-half had the opportunity to take in yesterday’s thriller in the Aviva.
The Limerick native would have been heartened by what he saw. After almost a decade on the coaching beat in France, Prendergast is returning home.
He has no shortage of home-grown talent to develop and nurture. Leaving his imprint on Munster’s attack will be key. For all of the home side’s endeavour yesterday, there is scope to expand their horizons.
There are good things happening further down the food chain as well. In Ian Costello, the operation has a shrewd academy manager who is nurturing the next generation.
Crucially, Costello is mending broken bridges with the All-Ireland League clubs as well. These things all make a difference.
This frantic Champions Cup quarter-final concluded with a host of youngsters on the pitch.
Munster finished the game with Craig Casey and Ben Healy in front of a pack featuring Diarmuid Barron, Thomas Ahern, Alex Kendellen and Jack Daly. The Wycherley brothers had left the action after huge shifts.
Add in the fact that Dave Kilcoyne, Tadhg Beirne, John Hodnett and Jack O’Sullivan were all unavailable and you get a sense of the phenomenal effort put on from this young pack.
This squad could do with some strike power and a bit of world-class stardust as well. Rowntree will be hoping that RG Snyman and impending arrival Malakai Fekitoa can both stay fit next season.
On that front, Damian de Allende is going to leave a huge void in midfield when he departs in the summer. The World Cup-winning Springbok was immense as usual.
At least Rowntree can count on having a top-class backrow unit at his disposal. Peter O’Mahony, Kendellen and Jack O’Donoghue were outstanding. O’Mahony will already have his bags packed for New Zealand, but surely Andy Farrell will bring Kendellen, the new kid on the block, and O’Donoghue, the forgotten man, on tour this summer as well?
Those two look tailor-made to take on the Maori in the midweek games. Josh Wycherley and Ahern – who produced another brilliant cameo on the bench – are potential bolters as well.
Whatever about Ed Sheeran getting the freedom of Thomond Park, the sight of Munster supporters arriving at the Aviva Stadium in their droves will hearten this squad as well. The same old frustrations may have surfaced, but the fans are still behind this long-suffering province, clearly.
At times, it looked like Munster ably led by the outstanding O’Mahony - were going to win this by sheer force of will. True grit will only get you so far, however.
The tries scored by Kendellen, Keith Earls and Mike Haley were all snippets of what this team can achieve when they put things together.
In terms of sheer commitment, you couldn’t fault the effort of the hosts yesterday.
What will really hurt is their failure to land the killer blow when they had a rattled Toulouse on the ropes approaching the hour mark.
Toulouse lock Rory Arnold had been sin-binned for a clumsy tackle on Simon Zebo, Antoine Dupont had been rag-dolled by O’Mahony and his fellow feral forwards, while Maxime Medard knocked on a high ball under no pressure.
The visitors, armed with their heavyweight bench and a moment of inspiration from their talented young wing Matthis Lebel, fought they way back into the contest.
There’s a reason why this club have won a record five titles. Dupont, Romain Ntamack and their rest of their France team-mates aren’t Grand Slam champions for nothing, either.
Ben Healy still had a chance to snatch the glory and the win with a long-range effort in the final seconds of regular time.
There was more drama than in the final seasons of Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and Line of Duty combined in extra time, with Healy’s drop-goal attempt just sailing wide of the posts in the final play.
For only the second time in this tournament’s 27-year history, we were heading to a penalty shoot-out.
It was like Italia 90 all over again. There was no Bonner-esque heroics, though. Murray and Healy (twice) failed to hit the target. Another tragic ending.
The next chapter can be brighter, however. Just as well Munster and this whole operation is turning the page.