Munster 24 Perpignan 23:The resumption of Munster's Heineken Cup campaign would have ended in disaster at Thomond Park had Ronan O'Gara not found a timely return to form and confidently kicked every point for the homeside to deny the French champions. Perpignan scored all three tries and looked to have won it with a superb solo effort from Philip Burger in the dying minutes but the Ireland outhalf made no mistake when the pressure was on.
O’Gara admitted afterwards it was “hard work” but had plenty of praise for his team-mates whose work ethic to get him into crucial positions time and again had to be commended.
On his own form of late, the outhalf admitted there have been some issues but hinted he thought it might have been blown out of proportion.
“It’s a fascinating subject. Obviously, I’ve kicked an awful lot of points in my career. In the last five years, I’ve probably kicked 80 per cent and you want to hit 90 or 100 per cent. So you go away and try and tweak things and I struggled to probably get it back.
“In saying that, for Ireland and Northampton, and the other big European games - it didn’t come into it in Treviso because we scored tries and I kicked well tonight.
“But a few of the Magners League games at the start of the season I struggled a bit, but the most important thing to me is the team, it’s always been the team. It’s such a great bunch of lads, unbelievable captain and great coach and management team.
“At this stage of my career I play for the enjoyment and the love of the game. I’m just proud to be a Munster man tonight,” he added on Sky Sports after his personal haul of seven out of nine penalties and a drop goal. The result keeps Munster on track to qualify for the quarter-finals for the twelfth successive yeat but they know they will be in a game in nine days time when it's their turn to travel to France.
Munster set out their stall with an early penalty success from O’Gara, but Perpignan powered back and stunned the home crowd with tries from flanker Yoann Vivalda and scrumhalf Nicolas Durand.
Firstly they profited from an ill-advised Lifeimi Mafi kick from a pass back into the Munster 22. The subsequent lineout was tapped down on the Munster side by Paul O’Connell, only for Vivalda to quickly gobble up the loose ball and charge over from 10 metres out.
Jerome Porical’s missed conversion was followed by a drilled penalty from O’Gara but just three minutes later, the French were celebrating their second try.
Robins Tchale Watchou secured lineout possession outside the hosts’ 22, hooker Guilhem Guirado sprung clear off a ruck and flanker Guiry took the ball on before Durand outfoxed Doug Howlett with a superb step and run in at the left corner.
Porical added the conversion but was off target with a penalty from distance midway through what was a hard-fought and first half.
Munster bossed territory for the duration but Perpignan’s defence was largely watertight. O’Gara’s assured place-kicking — he knocked over four of his first five attempts — saw the 2006 and 2008 European champions draw level at 12-12 for half-time.
He punished Tchale Watchou for a ruck offence after 26 minutes, and four minutes before the break an impressive kick chase — with Howlett hammering Porical in the tackle — allowed O’Gara boot his side back on terms.
Perpignan opened the second half with great intent, David Marty and Farid Sid probing the wings and making headway towards the Munster 22.
The home side hit back as the game ebbed and flowed with the defences again on top. What yardage Munster could make came through O’Gara’s right boot or the determined ball carrying of back rowers Alan Quinlan and Denis Leamy.
O’Gara and Perpignan full-back Porical traded penalties, and hooker Denis Fogarty saved Munster’s bacon by claiming a Durand cross-field kick as Perpignan pressed for a third try.
The visitors’ dominant scrum and clever work off the breakdown caused plenty of problems for Tony McGahan’s men, but again O’Gara came up trumps, landing a drop-goal and a penalty for a 21-15 lead with 16 minutes to go.
Replacement David Mele converted a penalty to ensure a nervy finish for the home fans and Burger crossed for his superb score after he collected a kick from Paul Warwick outside the his 22 and blasted past the Australian and O’Gara for a sublime solo try.
Mele was narrowly wide with his conversion attempt and frustratingly for the Top 14 outfit, their good work was undone when Guiry caught Mafi with a high tackle and 24-point hero O’Gara did the rest.
