POOL THREE LONDON IRISH v MUNSTER: London Irish 23, Munster 17:IN SUCH a dog-eat-dog group, any bones or scraps might well count. London Irish were loudly cocking a snoot at the bonus point procured by Sam Tuitupou's 80th minute try at the Madejski Stadium with the last play of the game but either they were pretending not to get it or plainly don't get it.
Either way, they are liable to get it when visiting Thomond Park come the final round of matches in January.
On the somewhat safe presumption the Drama Kings take this group down to the wire, this bonus point is liable to reduce Munster’s target on the final day, be it not having to score a try-scoring bonus point themselves, or win by more than seven or even outscore London Irish by more than a try.
Whatever, nobody does the maths better than Munster, and you sense it could be critical.
A bonus point was the least their daring approach and resolve deserved, not least after recovering from a somewhat self-inflicted 20-6 deficit early in the second half.
That said, this was still a defeat, and as nobody has ever progressed from the pool stages after losing their opening two games; the pressure is on Munster to beat Toulon in their Thomond lair.
Thus, for all the bleatings from Lawrence Dallaglio and some English pundits about fate giving Munster a Limerick finale at home to an English team – for the seventh time in the competition’s history – this rather conveniently overlooks the fact this also means they’ve been drawn away first up to an English side on the opening weekend.
Accordingly, Munster have been playing catch-up after an opening defeat on six of those seven occasions. Ironically, on the only occasion they won – at Leicester four seasons ago – they would subsequently lose the last-day rematch; their only Heineken Cup defeat at Thomond Park.
On the other six occasions they avenged the initial defeat on English soil, often with high drama to squeeze into the quarter-finals, and on two of them went on to win the trophy.
The truth remains that, for all their wild ambition, had Munster been more accurate this was a winnable game, even with a French referee.
Tony McGahan’s eye-catching selection, clearly intent on picking the most mobile and dynamic backrow and team they could muster, began to make perfect sense from, well, the first play of the match.
Ronan O’Gara moved second phase ball across the backline inside the 22 to create a one-on-one for Keith Earls in the outside centre channel, only for his difficult under-arm offload for Doug Howlett on the loop to fail.
This was a statement of intent and, undeterred, they carried on running the ball or counter-attacking from deep, putting plenty of width on their game.
One could understand their desire not to kick the ball to the highly potent counter-attacking threat of the London Irish back three, and also to go around Irish’s superb blitz defence, in which Seilala Mapusua excelled with his line speed, decision-making, big hits and breakdown turnovers.
At one point, with Tuitupou deservedly in the bin for dumping Paul Hodgson on the turf, and Niall Ronan being treated on the floor, Munster were running turnover ball back and forth across the pitch with 13 against 15, though others would fall during that exhaustive spell. The sustained applause from both sets of supporters was in recognition of the teams’ endeavours, and also in gratitude for the time out.
Working off a line-out pressurised by the renowned Bob Casey-Nick Kennedy double act, and also without Alan Quinlan, if there was a flaw in Munster’s strategy, it was it soon became one-dimensional.
While the men in red recycled quickly and Ronan O’Gara thrived outside Stringer’s service – as quick fire as ever and truly a thing of beauty – it was rarely done off the back of target runners getting over the gain line.
This made it a higher risk strategy and they were punished for several of the many forced passes or turnovers they made. The first and fifth of three-pointers by the unerring Ryan Lamb which left them trailing 15-6 at the break could be traced to Munster running the ball from deep.
Howlett revelled in the back three’s licence to thrill and Johne Murphy’s selection at full-back looked inspired save, of course, for the intercept try he coughed up to Topsey Ojo within 30 seconds of the restart.
But thereafter there was a better balance to Munster’s game, with O’Gara selectively playing territory and helped by wayward kicking from Delon Armitage, with the enforced 32nd minute introduction of David Wallace also augmenting Tony Buckley in giving them so go-forward ball-carrying.
Although Armitage redeemed himself when helping to hold up Buckley short of the line, never was Wallace’s influence more evident than when entering the last 75 seconds of the match. Mick O’Driscoll called a five-man line-out on himself and from inside half-way Wallace first bounced Chris Hala’ufia before beating another three players in a stunning break.
That’s why Wallace has been the best ball-carrying Irish forward since Victor Costello and Keith Wood, and possibly of all time. From the ensuing tap penalty by the lively Duncan Williams, Wallace was on hand again and from the recycle O’Gara feinted and pushed through a delicious grubber for Tuitupou to score a very timely first try for Munster.
A dog with a bone, alright.
Match Statistics
Scoring sequence
5 mins:O'Gara pen 0-3; 8 mins: Lamb pen 3-3; 11 mins: Lamb pen 6-3; 21 mins: Lamb pen 9-3; 33 mins: Lamb drop goal 12-3; 36 mins: Lamb pen 15-3; 38 mins: O'Gara pen 15-6; (half-time 15-6); 41 mins: Ojo try 20-6; 56 mins: O'Gara pen 20-9; 69 mins: O'Gara pen 20-12; 73 mins: Armitage pen 23-12; 80 mins: Tuitupou try 23-17.
LONDON IRISH: D Armitage; T Ojo, E Sevealii, S Mapusua, S Tagicakibau; R Lamb, P Hodgson; C Dermody, capt, J Buckland, F Rautenbach, N Kennedy, B Casey, K Roche, D Danaher, G Stowers.
Replacements: C Halaufia for Danaher (52 mins), D Paice for Buckland, A Corbisiero for Rautenbach (both 56 mins), M Garvey for Casey, J Joseph for Tagicakibau, D Bowden for Seveali'i (all 69 mins). Not used: M Lahiff, D Allinson.
MUNSTER:J Murphy; D Howlett, K Earls, S Tuitupou, D Hurley; R OGara, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, T Buckley, D OCallaghan, D Ryan, D Leamy, capt, N Ronan, J Coughlan.
Replacements: D Wallace for Ronan (32 mins), M ODriscoll for Ryan (57 mins), M Horan for du Preez, J Hayes for Buckley (both 64 mins), D Williams for Stringer (74 mins), P Warwick for Earls (68 mins), M Sherry for Varley (79 mins). Not used: S Deasy. Sin Bin: Tuitupou (23-33 mins).
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France).
