Munster coach lauds cup final heroes after beating Stormers

Dynamic back division stars Malakai Fekitoa and Ben Healy were singled out for praise by Munster coach Graham Rowntree after they helped his team stun the Stormers in their farewell appearances for the club.

The Irish side shattered the Stormers’ hopes of back-toback URC titles when they snatched a 19-14 triumph in front of a stunned sell-out 56,000 crowd.

The ecstatic coach described the win as his “best day ever” after masterminding a famous victory on foreign soil.

“We singled out Malakai Fekitoa and Ben Healy in the dressing room after the win. To thank them for their contribution,” Rowntree said.

“Malakai, particularly his form in the last three months, has been exceptional.”

Saturday’s final was the farewell Munster appearance for Fekitoa and Healy.

“Ben said to me, the day he told me he was leaving, that he wanted to win something with this club before he goes.

“He’s done it and I’m immensely proud of him.

“It’s my best day ever,’just the manner in which we ve done it.

“Away from home, doing it tough, tight group, not rotated the squad a lot. I’m immensely proud.

“Bravery is sticking in the game, isn’t it?

“When it gets tight, it gets sticky towards the end of the game. It’s close. That’s bravery.

“And the skill level we showed then to get a late try.

“But all that comes from being battle-hardened and being used to doing that over the last few months.

“That’s really stood out to us, where we’ve been in the last few weeks.

“I’m not going to lie, it’ sa huge moment for the club.

“Players, fans, they’ve been very patient waiting for this trophy. It’s a special group, a number of players have waited patiently to win a trophy.

“I’m immensely proud of this group, delighted for the whole of the province and its people who are here now; the playing group, their families, their kids watching, the supporters, the red army that followed us here; unbelievable.

“I mean, we drove into the stadium and there was a red army of flags coming in. I’m delighted for those people.

“The game itself, I’m proud of the lads. We did it tough.

“I spoke yesterday about this being our sixth game away from home, can we do this?

“The places we’ve gone, the performances we’ve put in; we haven’t been perfect, we’re still growing our game but we always stick in the game. We had some adversity.

“I’m unbelievably proud of everyone who’s involved in this prestigious club that is Munster Rugby.

“I thought we were pretty good first-half in terms of keeping the ball, phase attack and making them work, their tight five work.

“I was disappointed we didn’t go in at halftime 19 points up.

“Gavin Coombes’ try that was disallowed, that was a perfectly good try. I was disappointed by that.

“We knew we had to keep the ball against these which is a challenge on a pitch like that, we had to deal with their power game.

“We’d done our homework on them because they’re a great team, led by a great coach.

“The current champions, in their home stadium in front of 50,000-odd fans; it was going to take a big game from us and it was a question of sticking in the game.

“Things didn’t go all our own way, there were some big moments in the game that went against us.

“You get hit back again and you’ve got to recover.

“What we have learnt is the ability under pressure away from home to recover.”