LONG WAY TO GO
Huge optimism surrounded regime change but Cardiff prove that Munster reboot has a...
IT was an unseasonably sunny day in Cardiff Arms Park, but no brave new dawn for Munster. Few were expecting Graham Rowntree’s new project to hit the ground running on the opening weekend, yet there was plenty of the familiar and worrying failings from the previous regime on display.
The visitors were error-strewn, indisciplined and inaccurate at the breakdown – where they coughed up a flurry of turnovers – while their kicking game was aimless.
Of course, this latest coaching regime needs time to bed down the foundations.
Mike Prendergast’s attacking blueprint isn’t going to become second nature overnight. Same goes for the set-piece, defence and overall style.
Saying all that, this was still a flat and uninspired display from the visitors.
Clearly, this rebuild is going to take some time and there is going to be some pain along the way. Despite all the issues, it says something about the character and tenacity of this group that they were still in the hunt with only a few minutes remaining.
Cardiff breathed a big sigh of relief when Aled Summerhill scorched past Liam Coombes to score in the corner with less than three minutes of the game remaining. That late try killed off the contest but, in truth, Munster rarely threatened.
Their best attacking spell of the entire game arrived on the hour mark when young No8 Jack O’Sullivan sparked a rare attack in Cardiff territory with a scything break around the fringe of the ruck. A few phases later, the Corkman lunged over the line to touch down, a score which put the Reds into a temporary lead. It was all Cardiff after that, however.
From the moment Max Llewellyn weaved his way through some porous Munster defending in the third minute, the hosts looked in control. The Welsh side recruited well in the summer and have some international heavyweights back on board.
In Taulupe Faletau, they had the dominant forward on the pitch and the Lions No8 was ably assisted by Thomas Young, James Botham, Seb Davies and Rhys Carre. Kristian Dacey, who put in a busy shift at hooker, caused Munster plenty of problems as well and, fittingly, finished off a slick lineout attack to register Cardiff’s second try of the afternoon.
Rowntree knows he needs a few heavy hitters back to compete with the bigger packs on the URC scene and especially when the Heineken Cup rolls around in December.
RG Snyman would be a gamechanger in that regard. For all their industry, Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley once again lacked impact as a second row combination.
For the most part, Rowntree’s side looked disjointed and the looming Emerging Ireland tour is not going to help on that front. The Munster head coach is now going to be without 10 of his brightest prospects for the next three rounds of the league. Many of which caught the eye, including Tom Ahern, John Hodnett and Jack Crowley.
For a squad which is chasing some much-needed cohesion, it’s not ideal. It will probably be the fifth-round meeting with the Bulls at Thomond Park when we got a true sense of where this new project is at.
Were there any positives for Munster after this sub-par display? Malakai Fekitoa, despite a few handlings errors, looks like a potent signing. The former All Blacks centre, who is now aligned with his native Tonga, has power and pace in abundance. His offloading game will be lethal when his fellow teammates get on his level. Like the rest of his teammates, there was a sense that Munster’s new recruit was trying to force things.
Paddy Patterson was another player who was guilty of overplaying at key times. The 23-year-old is settling in well after arriving from Leinster and has plenty about him, but he needs to realise that you can’t play the game in fifth gear all the time.
At least Keynan Knox and Roman Salanoa got some minutes under their belts. Much of Munster’s fate this season rests on whether these two young tightheads can step up to the plate. The same goes for the rest of the rookies in this squad.
They will be learning on the job this term. This was definitely a reality check.