Munster 13 – 16 Vodacom Bulls (HT: 10 – 10)
Munster fell to a late loss at home to the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday in a greasy Thomond Park. The boot of substitute Keagan Johannes guided the Pretorian outfit to victory over a tired Munster squad.
However, this result will be blighted by controversy. Following injuries to both of the home side’s tighthead props, the home side were made to play with 14 men for a quarter of an hour; in a costly howler to Munster’s season.
Ultimately Munster’s downfall would be the continuation of the form we saw last week in Europe. Overpowered while having another off-day with the set-piece coupled with bangs and bruises told the full story.
To their credit, Conor Murray and Jack Crowley combined brilliantly in the opening passages and all evening, with the latter adding his first penalty of the evening after just 7 minutes. The experienced scrum-half was one of two last minute changes to the side with Craig Casey and Peter O’Mahony withdrawn while Murray and Jack O’Donoghue started. That was compounded with a further blow after a quarter of an hour when Oli Jager was withdrawn after a knock to the head.
The visitors, who also lost last weekend, did strike the first blow moments later. In typical Pretorian brute force fashion, the Bulls bullied Munster back towards their own line before former Ulster flanker Marcell Coetzee dived over from close-range.
Munster to their credit kept their heads above water defensively. Alex Kendellen, Tom Ahern and Seán O’Brien all popped up with critical interventions, despite an opening quarter where the home side were their own worst enemy. This good work was in vain as Johan Goosen pushed the Bulls’ advantage out to a full seven points, following a needless ruck penalty.
Like all matchups against South African opposition, the tactical kicking battle proved to be an important battleground across the game. Munster managed to recover some change from the opposition, and did relieve themselves from the early Bulls onslaught as the first half progressed.
Munster’s opening try of the first half was a gift from the Bulls ill-discipline. A late hit on Jack Crowley gave Munster a second bite of the cherry, having previously wasted a chance. Some magical offloading from Alex Nankivell and Jack Crowley teed up South African full-back Thaakir Abrahams for the all important score. Crowley made light work of the tricky conversion to bring the home side back level approaching the interval.
No sooner had “Zombie” stopped playing over the PA when Munster went searching for try number two. After repeated Bulls infringements at scrum time, and from the tap-and-go, they were down to fourteen men, as Embrose Papier saw the line. Luckily for the South African franchise however, Munster coughed up the opportunity with another wasted lineout.
The 14-man Bulls opened the scoring for the second forty as Johan Goosen slotted over, as the rain came pouring down, but their lead was short lived. Andrew Smith won the ensuing restart, and after a couple of promising attacking phases, Tadhg Beirne was tackled without the ball, handing Jack Crowley the easiest of penalties to draw level.
If the game wasn’t slippery enough as was, Munster were dealt another blow soon after. Despite both Stephen Archer and Oli Jager being removed with on field injuries, referee Andrea Piardi required Munster to lose a player incorrectly, meaning they would play the last half hour down a man. Kendellen would eventually return following the shrewd work of Niall O’Donovan, which made the incident stranger.
Keagan Johannes kicked the visitors in front from his second attempt as the clock wound down, as Alex Kendellen’s costly high tackle became valuable Bulls points. With greasy conditions in Limerick, this felt like a vital score for the away team; which it was.
Munster’s late pursuit of a levelling score would come unstuck, symbolic of a frustrating fortnight following the glorious afternoon in La Rochelle.
Having already won in Galway earlier in the season, the Bulls all but wrapped up their top four berth in this season’s United Rugby Championship, becoming the first South African side to win in Ireland twice in the same season. The loss sees Munster dragged back into the mosh pit in the mid table, ahead of a crucial trip to Cardiff next Friday.
After the game Munster interim head coach Ian Costello labelled the incident as “confusing” and “disappointing” despite it “not being the reason we lost the game”. He clarified that the coaching staff and management were aware of the confusion initially, but it was muddled by the various voices at play.
MUNSTER: Thaakir Abrahams; Seán O’Brien, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell (Rory Scannell, 73’), Andrew Smith (Diarmuid Kilgallen, 51’); Jack Crowley, Conor Murray (Paddy Patterson, 73’); Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell (Mark Donnelly, 60’), Oli Jager (Stephen Archer, 14’; (Lee Barron, 51’)); Jean Kleyn (Fineen Wycherley, 66’), Tadhg Beirne (c); Tom Ahern (Ruadhán Quinn, 66’), Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen (51’ – 65’).
Tries: Thaakir Abrahams
Conversions: Jack Crowley 2/2
Penalties: Jack Crowley 1/1
VODACOM BULLS: Devon Williams; Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian De Klerk; Johan Goosen (Keagan Johannes, ’), Embrose Papier (Zak Burger, 66’ (Stravino Jacobs, 79’)); Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Simphiwe Matanzima, 68’), Akker Van Der Merwe (Johann Grobbelaar, 57’), Wilco Louw (Mornay Smith, 57’); Cobus Wiese (JF Van Heerden, 64’), Ruan Nortje (c); Marcell Coetzee, Jannes Kirsten, Cameron Hanekom.
Replacements not used: Nizaam Carr.
Tries: Marcell Coetzee
Conversions: Johan Goosen 1/1
Penalties: Johan Goosen 2/2, Keagan Johannes 1/2
Yellow Cards: Embrose Papier (44’)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)