LIKE LOTS OF the stuff that came beforehand, Munster’s fourth try this afternoon was impressive.
Let’s revisit that 10-phase beauty. Tadhg Beirne’s sweep pass in midfield on Munster’s 10-metre line sees Jack Crowley and Alex Nankivell get their passes away sharply under pressure, freeing Antoine Frisch and Seán O’Brien to surge up the left and just beyond Exeter’s 10-metre line.
Jack O’Donoghue carries infield strongly, offloading to Stephen Archer. Bouncing back to the left, slick hands from Shane Daly then allow O’Brien to make another burst up the left-hand side into the Exeter 22.
Crowley, of all people, runs an aggressive hard line off Craig Casey on the next phase, smashing into two Exeter tacklers. Two phases later, Frisch is at first receiver and he dummies, darts, then offloads beautifully in behind to hooker Diarmuid Barron, who sprints all the way to within three metres of the Exeter tryline before being hauled down.
Munster are close to being turned over twice at this point but John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes, then Jeremy Loughman hit the breakdowns to ensure they retain the ball.
O’Donoghue and Barron inch them closer with the next two short carries, then Hodnett plays scrum-half, finding Alex Nankivell, and the Kiwi centre slickly catch-passes to send Daly into the right corner.
By any measure, it’s a brilliant try from Munster. Every player has a role, the handling skills are superb, the decision-making is clear-headed, and the tempo is relentless. As with Munster’s preceding three tries, it’s excellent stuff.
It’s their bonus point try and with a 24-13 lead heading into the final 30 minutes of the Champions Cup tie, it felt like Munster were well on their way to wrapping this tie up. But even as the writers in the press box began considering the opening paragraphs of a match report about a Munster win, it was far from over.
So what the hell happened next?
Munster look to exit from the restart but Casey’s kick is shallow, so they need to defend. Coombes comes up with a big breakdown turnover penalty. Munster’s ensuing lineout is an odd one as they look set to launch off the top but there’s apparent confusion, they get tangled up after Beirne’s win, and have to kick the ball away having lost momentum.
Casey’s box kick is partially blocked down, Exeter get the ball back inside Munster’s half again, and O’Donoghue is penalised for hands on the ground as he attempts to counter-ruck.
So rather than a clean exit after Daly’s try, Munster find themselves in their own 22. Coombes gets penalised next for failing to roll away from a tackle and Exeter kick into the corner. But Beirne and Hodnett produce another big play as they choke tackle Max Norey for a scrum turnover on their own line.
Yet again, Munster can’t get out of their own half. Murray box kicks from the scrum and Exeter knock the ball on the ensuring attack, then Murray box kicks on the left only to find touch on the full from outside his own 22.
Exeter therefore get another attacking lineout and Tom Ahern is penalised for side entry at the forming maul, so they kick into the right corner. This time, Rob Baxter’s men take their chance.
Ross Vintcent, Jack Dunne, then Dafydd Jenkins carry off the maul before Vintcent gets back on the ball and batters into a double tackle by Nankivell and Frisch, winning the collision and fighting towards the tryline to as he gets a late latch. Henry Slade converts and suddenly Exeter are back to within four points at 24-24.
Munster need to steady themselves but they concede again in the very next passage. Crowley drops his restart onto the Exeter 22 from where their replacement scrum-half, Stu Townsend, launches a contestable box kick.
It’s too shallow for Daly to come all the way up from the backfield to gather and the chasing Ben Hammersley is able to get up and bat the ball backwards ahead of the retreating Murray and Barron.
Exeter number eight Greg Fisilau wins the scraps on the ground and it’s Daly who swings up to tackle him as the rest of his Munster team-mates retreat. That leaves Munster’s backfield empty and Townsend cleverly rolls a long left-footed kick down into that space.
Calvin Nash is the one retreating and the first bounce of the ball is wicked, hopping high and backwards towards the chasing Dunne. Nash had to make a split-second decision. Try to dive and gather the ball before it bounces a second time or hope that it hops up into his arms as he moves towards it.
The latter option doesn’t work out well as it pops up at speed and he can’t reel it in, instead juggling it back towards his own line as Dunne thunders up to compete after a third bounce of the ball. Crowley is now in the vicinity and reaches for the ball in the air but Dunne isn’t to be denied, snaffling it in and emphatically finishing through Crowley’s despairing final tackle attempt.
Slade converts again having led 24-13 with the match clock reading 62:30, Munster find themselves behind for the very first time in the game on 66:05.
There was still time to recover but Munster didn’t.