By rights, Munster’s first-half performance in the win at Northampton should be the one to give them more satisfaction. It was much closer to demonstrating the team they are aspiring to be under a new coaching ticket.
But when, as with Munster yesterday, the second period involves getting down and dirty in miserable conditions away from home to repel a side through defiant and desperate defence on their own goal line and thus keep Northampton scoreless, then that is what feels the most satisfying in the dressing-room. And not just because it’s the more recent memory.
You could sense it in Jeremy Loughman’s voice and demeanour, as well as his words.
“I think like that, when you’re away from home, that’s proper stuff, to hold a team out like that, and they were going hard at us. They’re a good team, they had a big physical pack out today, they picked some big players, some big ball-carriers, and we just kept them out and kept going.
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“Even with the penalties racking up against us, we kept calm and we just kept going and some of the lads – I think it was Gav [Coombes] who pulled out a large turnover, and we got those lineout turnovers. It was incredible from the lads.
“It gives you energy. It’s as good as scoring a try. Obviously, it would have been nice to score a few more tries but to do that was unbelievable.”
There you go.
Continuing the theme, if the first half will understandably have pleased new attack coach Mike Prendergast more, the second half will assuredly have been the most pleasing period of the season for new defence coach Denis Leamy.
“Prendy is doing a great job there but Leams is in behind in the background doing his bits. He’s class. He’s grabbing some of us, bringing in these new drills, initiative ones, he’s very good.
“He has a calm head on his shoulders as well, which is what you need in defence. Especially when things are going against you, just to keep calm and come back to what your system is, so it’s good messaging from him, and what we’re doing in training is really showing in those circumstances.
This full-on, old-school, European Cup tie between two former winners in a reprise of the 2000 decider, was also notable for a ferocious and unusually fluctuating scrum battle. Each pack had their moments of dominance
“Oh yeah, it was serious. When we saw from the start he’s a big boy [Ehren] Painter, one of the biggest I’ve come up against in a while,” said Loughman with a wry smile. “So we knew that they had a good scrum. Watching them last week he came off the bench against La Rochelle and he caused some damage there, and that’s one of the best packs in Europe.
“So we knew were going to be up against it and I was really happy with how it went. There’s always going to be that toing and froing when it’s such a big battle, so I think we did really well and I think we can take a lot of confidence from that. Our set-piece is growing and we’re really going well there.”
Tellingly, Munster’s two best scrums won penalties on the Northampton put-in, and each led indirectly to the two first-half tries by Gavin Coombes.
“It’s kind of like those old sayings, especially when it comes back to big pack moments like that, I feel like a lot of people overlook the scrum but a turnover, like that first one down in the bottom corner, that was a turnover scrum against the head. Like, that lifts everyone up and you could see the energy really come up there, then we got into the lineout and lads were buzzing.
“When it all comes back to it, those set piece moments can be defining moments in the game because it’s a large boost for all eight of you to turn over the ball or whatever.
“It’s something that we really go after and it’s a good physical statement to put down when we get them right. It was nice to get that early on. It’s something we always drive, to really be more aggressive on that and go after them.”
