Sorry if this comes across as a bit arrogant but thought I would post my report of Munster's game last night. Lots to look forward to given this performance from a Munster team without one player who will start the semi final:
Munster dominated possession for the first ten minutes, clearing out well and presenting good clean ball for Sheridan. But sloppy handling led to a fair number of scrums, the dragons were pinged a few times for going early, I would say this was because we were owning them in that department. Archer was destroying his man but our dominance was not going to get the penalty rewards it deserved. Keatley declined a lengthy but (for him) well within range, kick in favour of a kick for touch, a mistake, especially as Damian Varley did not have a great day with his darts, three over thrown at least and plenty of others underthrown which allowed the Dragons to contest and dirty our ball.
Their first bit of possession in our 22 resulted in a penalty against Ronan for closing off, think it was similar to Warburton's pinging against England for going beyond the ball and coming back to contest which seems to be the refs interpretation du jour!?! However this stirred Munster into action and sustained possession resulted in space out wide for Keatley to find Paddy Butler (proud of my first ever journalistic scoop there!?!) with a beautifully judged crossfield kick. The decision would have gone upstairs I think if the cameras had been there so the awarding of the try caused a fair bit of muttering among the partisan but friendly crowd of 7524. Keatley missed the right hand touchline conversion (no disgrace) but it was the first of a few misses that I think would have disappointed the fella.
Frustratingly a penalty was conceded almost immediately (Archer in at the side I think). Their first Try was also the result of an error, it happened on the far side from me so I didn't see the players but the ball was dropped as we went on one of our blind alley, blind side forays. It was partly down to some serious indecision from Sheridan but from the kick chase, Jones scooted in under the posts. I was starting to get a feeling of deja vu from the Glasgow game!?! Sometimes someone has got to hold onto the ball and take the contact rather than shovelling it on to the next fella who gets smashed man and ball.
The next ten minutes passed with little bother for Munster, Varley compensated for his poor darts by winning the first of three 'jackelled' penalties but too often the resulting line outs would be lost or result in a poor platform. We did at least show a willingness to maul although the maul loses its effectiveness(IMHO) when the ball is underthrown.
13 - 5 became 16 - 5 with the binning of Butler. I am not a great one for blaming refs but it was a very marginal call whether or not it was a penalty so I felt the YC was tough although Butler's actions did snuff out a promising attack by the increasingly fluent Dragons. Butler tackled his man, made it back to his feet, challenged the tackled player and won the ball. Whether he released the tackled player properly before he challenged is the moot point but I felt their was enough doubt for the YC not to have been brandished even if a penalty was awarded. I was very impressed with Paddy Butler, he is a very intelligent footballer who has the gears to give himself plenty of time and I felt this was a tough call on the young fella.
I am afraid Keatley missed a long but very kickable penalty shortly after this. I am concerned that kicking is a part of the game that does not come naturally to Keats, he looks a bit mechanical and ponderous off the floor and restarting, however the rest of his game including his kicking for territory were very impressive and he has some serious wheels.
Stephen Archer went to the blood bin towards the end of the half with what looked like a badly broken nose. Ryan came on and did well at his one scrum before halftime. However, at this stage the lads were starting to look increasingly rattled and the Dragons were getting a foothold in the game. It didn't help that there were examples of poor decision making from Munster, the most glaring being the decision to tap another short arm scrum penalty under their sticks rather than ask for the reset; in mitigation Butler was in the bin but our seven were better than their eight I would have said. Butler returned to the fray and immediately affected an excellent turnover under our posts but we didn't clear our lines well enough, resulting in the drop goal on the stroke of half time which took the score to 19-5. We defended well for those last few minutes of the half and did well to prevent them scoring a try.
Archer returned at the start of the second half and almost immediately we showed much greater intensity and savvy. Keatley kicked beautifully for territory and we started to play in the right parts of the field. Archer was a little unlucky to get pinged for not rolling it was a bit of a tough call because the size he is it must be difficult to get out of the way.
Sheridan and JJ left the field soon after the assured Prydie had taken the score to 22-5. I wasn't massively impressed with either lads display; Sheridan was guilty of indecision on a couple of occasions and his small step does allow the defence a beat of time to get up but he is brave as a lion, he kept tackling Faletau at the end of the first half when we were under the cosh and I didn't see one missed pass. Not for the first time I felt that in JJ we are using a rapier as a sledgehammer; I do not think he is a 12, he is a 10. Too often he was crashing into contact and attempting the miracle offload which just doesn't look like his natural game. He got badly bounced a couple of times when defending as well.He made a couple of nice breaks but I do wonder whether the future might not be JJ 10 and Keats 12 (one for Dowlinz).
I am going to say straight away that Williams had a very good half an hour, he was quick to the breakdown and his pass was a lot better than we have seen at times this year. Keatley was starting to boss the game, another jackal from Varley resulted in a quickly taken, massive kick for touch that took us into the Dragons 22 and from memory led to Ronan O'Mahony's excellently taken try. But most important to the Munster galvinization was the close in work by the pack. DOC II had a very strong game carrying as did Ronan. ROM was very sharp and I was very pleased to see him coming off his wing looking for work, he was assured under the high ball, three clean catches I counted, and his try was very well taken. The conversion was missed from the left hand touch line off the post but the tails were up and the lads fired back down into the Dragons half with the score at 22-10 and the game coming to life.
Danny Barnes was offering plenty going forwards but he did tend to get smashed in the tackle; He did however put in the tackle of the night on the Dragons winger which was a proper bone cruncher. Dineen moved into 12 where I think he is better suited and the whole team started to click and most importantly we stopped dropping the ball. There were still a few too many attempted miracle passes/ offloads but generally we were playing sensible rugby.
Archer came off at this point with what looked like an injured wrist, I pray he is OK for next weekend because I think we will need him. He has obviously put in stacks of work on his scrummaging and I am delighted for him and Munster that it is starting to pay off in spades. I will make one of my rash predictions that he will be in the Ireland squad by the next six nations and starting very effectively for Ireland in the RWC!!! Billy Holland made way for Nagle. BH is just the sort of player Munster need, dependable, strong and intelligent; he seems to be slipping effortlessly into the MOD role and if DOC does not make Montpellier, BH will not let anyone down. The superb Butler made way for Stander to come on at eight.
We were rumbling at this stage, battering into the Dragons defence and then off the back of a scrum CJ managed to bullock his way over. I didn't really see what happened next but the net result was that after Keatley had slotted the simple conversion, Varley ended up in the bin. It was a proper free for all in the in goal area after the try had been scored so for one man to be singled out seemed a little unusual. Whether the binning affected the result is hard to say but it certainly led to one penalty being tapped rather than kicked for touch as we had no hooker. Marcus had come on by this stage and it was heartening to think he was not going to be involved in a capitulation as the Munster 14 sensed that the game was there for the taking with the Dragons flagging. After multiple phases Johne was put through to touch down under the posts, Keats converted and we were in front.
The game was motoring now with the Dragons firing back into Munster's half. A speculative Garryowen was hoisted which I felt was much too long but Denis Hurley failed to get underneath it which was disappointing and we were back under pressure, then Johne failed to find touch from inside our 22 and instead send the ball straight into the not inconsiderable mits of the mighty Faletau in acres of space. Every Dragons runner knew they needed to be on his shoulder as you will not stop the fella offloading which he duly did and a couple of passes later Wardle was in the corner. However the missed conversion meant there was all to play for and the players knew they had five minutes even if the crowd didn't. Back came Munster, building phases again until another pass went astray being overforced and the Dragons intercepted, Hurley and Johne showed good pace to get back and I felt Munster were unlucky to concede the penalty as I felt Johne forced the Dragons player to hold on, but I am biased!?!
Still, however this young team refused to lie down and CJ protested vehemently that he was tackled before the ball reached him but the ref was not having it, scrum Dragons, game over.
