MUNSTER BOSS GRAHAM Rowntree expressed his huge frustration with how his team let a winning position slip away in the final quarter of their Champions Cup clash in Exeter.
Munster secured a try-scoring bonus point as early as the 49th minute and led 24-13 at that point but conceded three tries in the closing quarter as Exeter ended up 32-24 winners in Sandy Park.
This defeat means Munster are fifth in Pool 3 of the Champions Cup after two games, having drawn at home to Bayonne last weekend. As things stand, Rowntree’s men wouldn’t go through to the Round of 16 as one of the top four teams in the pool.
With games away to Toulon and at home against group leaders Northampton to come in January, Munster have a big job ahead now.
“We’re the world’s specialists at leaving ourselves a tough job and making things hard for ourselves,” said Rowntree immediately after Munster’s defeat.
“Factually, the world leaders in making life tough for ourselves. We’ll deal with that when it comes.”
He was disappointed at how Munster let what looked like a probable win on the road slip from their grasp, having played some excellent rugby to build their 24-13 advantage.
“It’s never over, is it? The game’s never over,” said Rowntree, who was also frustrated with some of the refereeing.
“We did some great things, scored some cracking tries, got the four-try bonus point doing some good things. I’d reiterate that – we did some pretty good things tonight.
“But some things just got away from us. They got away from us. I’m really frustrated with the last try, the circumstances around that. Their third try was just crazy, against the run of play.
“We turned around at half time, didn’t change much tactically. Our kicking game wasn’t as strong but I’m really frustrated with those last two tries we conceded against a great team.
“I’m hugely frustrated.”
The Munster boss felt his side lacked composure in the endgame.
“It got away from us,” said Rowntree. “We didn’t take our foot off the pedal, it’s just the circumstances around our composure.
“You look at the lineout at the end there, we try to move the ball off that and Conor [Murray] unfortunately knocks the ball on. Those moments. Beaten in the air a couple of times. We’ll have a look at that.
“We did some good things. It’s a tough place to come but we got our game going, got on top of them. There’s a couple of penalties around the middle of the field for six of their points that I’d like to have another look at. John Hodnett over the ball at the end of the first half and the one at the start of the second half [against Tadhg Beirne]. That brings the scoreline close, gives them a bit more belief. That happens, you’ve got to roll on but you have to take your chances when you can.
“We’ll come in Tuesday and have a look at it. We’ve got a massive game against Leinster next week at Thomond Park and then Connacht in an inter-provincial, then we’re back into Europe and we’ll see how the cards fall.
“In that final round, we’ve got Saints at home in the middle of January. We’ll see where we’re at. We’ve got to go to Toulon, that will be brilliant.
What a stadium to go to to play a game of rugby. What a challenge for us in Toulon. Then Saints and at the end of that game, we’ll see where we are as group.”
