Sean Farrell reports from Exeter
WHEN FLIGHT FR504 landed – thankfully safely – in Bristol with a thud at 7.45 on Saturday morning, we should have known there was a day of nerves, uncertainty and uncompromising forces ahead.
Further south, in Devon, the same Storm Callum elements which buffeted and cajoled planes seeking runways would also have a major bearing on Exeter v Munster.
Lineouts were skewed, long passes became a foolish exercise. Box-kicks were held up in the teeth of the wind and pushed back towards kickers, prompting chaos among the chasers.
Joey Carbery gave all on-lookers a good measure of the swirl when he opted to kick a first-half penalty on what would normally look a dangerously low trajectory.
“I don’t think guys realise how tough it was out there,” said head coach Johann van Graan after the teams had battled out a 10-10 draw. But it was clear from the beginning, from a thunderous CJ Stander hit or the Dave Ewers crunch which soon responded, that these sides had to trust in physicality when the weather was also intent on making its presence felt.
All told the tackle count was 186 to 185 at the final whistle, but the evidence of the brutal collisions was on show throughout the second half. Never moreso than when Ewers and Sam Skinner were left laying motionless in front of the Munster posts after Stander had forced his way over for the game’s crucial second try.
Ewers passed his HIA and later returned to the field. Skinner did not, and Munster’s injury list in the week leading up to Gloucester will include Sam Arnold – taken to hospital as a precaution with a knock to his throat – John Ryan’s ankle and Keith Earls’ tight hamstring. But there will be sore bodies all around UL when they get back to work tomorrow.
Pre-match, given the Chiefs’ domestic form and their back-to-back battle royale with Leinster last December, most felt that a losing bonus point would amount to a terrific result for Munster. A draw is far more than twice as valuable to them because points from home games are so crucial when it comes to escaping a Heineken Champions Cup pool and Exeter have been denied two or three this weekend.
When it came down to it, it was the international class in Munster’s ranks that took victory away from the Chiefs. Tadhg Beirne emerged man of the match having played a huge role at the lineout and in making the hardest of yards through contact. He took a great deal of focus off CJ Stander and came through with 16 carries for 17 metres when every inch felt vital.
Stander himself put 20 metres to his name off 18 carries, and his incessant work-rate took him through 14 tackles – joint-highest for Munster alongside Rory Scannell.
Alongside the Corkman, Carbery was on hand for 12 tackles, and he made a mockery of his apparent slight frame to make some crucial hits and good reads throughout to ward danger off before it emerged. There were brief flashes of his brilliance in attack too as he rose above the elements to zip passes and create rare breaks.
Munster were terrific in an extraordinary match in Sandy Park, right back into European knock-out mode for round one of the competition. Indeed, like Exeter, they will look back at this match and feel there were enough chances to put a win on the board.
Chris Cloete appeared to have grounded a try, but Jerome Garces ruled that the front part of the maul had broken off and obstructed to allow the openside in. And before Stander found the way in, he had brought Munster close to the posts only for a loose offload from O’Mahony to give a grateful Santiago Cordero a chance to clear the danger.
The Chiefs had their chances too: the late onslaught of 22 phases was met by unbreakable resistance from Munster. The home fans in Sandy Park were convinced they were watching a try unfold when Henry Slade, Phil Dollman and Matt Kvesic combined to break down the left, but the fullback was caught and hauled down by a try-saving Duncan Williams tackle.
“Those small moments get you two points away from home,” said Van Graan of his unsung scrum-half post-match.
“There is always room for improvement. We came here to win tonight. I am incredibly proud of the lads tonight. I thought their effort was immense. I don’t think guys realise how tough it was out there – the wind was incredibly tough. For us to come away from an away game with two points is great.
Not a lot of people gave us any chance, so it is a good two points. We had opportunities to win it, so did they. It was a massive battle between two very good sides.”
Two magnificent clubs, but one clear winner from this draw. The Chiefs must go to Castres next up and will find that the French champions are often at their strongest in the opening home fixture of Europe.
Munster, on the evidence of the past two weekends, can back up these two unexpected points with four (or possibly five) against Gloucester in Limerick next Saturday before the December back-t0-backs begin at home to Castres.
Safely landed, tension eased and spirited shouts of “c’mon Munster” echoed down the plane on Saturday morning. By last night the same words could be roared with a lot more confidence.
The pedigree of the southern province means they know the path well in this competition, and they have put themselves in the pilot’s seat in Pool 2.
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