European Champions Cup
Munster 32 (Tries: Botha, Stander, Casey, Zebo. Cons: Keatley 3. Pens: Keatley 2.)
Benetton Treviso 7 Try: Steyn, Con: Hayward.
The appeal of this victory was in the result rather than admiring the aesthetics of the performance, as it gently colours the post-match perspective, allowing a more chipper, upbeat review of a night that was fraught for the most part. It took until Simon Zebo’s 76th-minute try to lock down a bonus point.
In the context of this pool that was a minimum requirement from the assignment. Munster’s most difficult opponent on a filthy night in Limerick was the weather conditions, the sheeting rain and gusting, swirling wind, rendering the basics a challenge and attaching a huge tariff to anything more elaborate.
That is not to denigrate Benetton Treviso, who applied themselves diligently – in South African-born number eight Braam Steyn boasted one of the game’s best athletes – but they never really caused their hosts any substantial problems to the point where the try Munster conceded was self-inflicted.
Limited in ambition
Treviso have lost all eight matches this season and carry over the baggage of a further seven defeats from the end of the previous campaign. The Italians were limited in ambition and compromised by execution.
The problem initially for Munster was they allowed a superb start to slip away. Munster captain, and a deserved man of the match, CJ Stander summed it up neatly when he said: “We opted to play into the wind, it was our choice. The boys came out and started unbelievably but dropped off a little bit.
“I would say it was down to the conditions. We played all the rugby in the first half but didn’t really get anything out of it.”
The home side led 10-7, through a try from BJ Botha with Ian Keatley kicking a penalty and conversion. The Springbok, who signed a contract extension to the end of the season, might had added another but dropped the ball in the act of touching down.
He wasn’t alone as teammates also watched the ball squirt free while one or two decisions on Munster’s infrequent visits to the visitors’ 22 during the opening half would have been appreciably different with the benefit of hindsight.
Treviso’s try came when Steyn blocked down a clearance by Keatley, hacked the ball and defied the dead-ball line by millimetres. Jayden Hayward tagged on the conversion.
Munster coach Anthony Foley was content at the interval: “It is the best we played in those conditions. The way we controlled the first-half possession, we kept it (action) where we wanted and it was seldom that they got into our 22.
“I thought it was well marshalled by nine (Conor Murray) and 10 (Keatley) and the pack got through a hefty workload in terms of keeping the ball and moving it up the pitch through the maul and also by coming round the corner and running hard off nine. It was easier to handle the ball in the first half.”
The only downside was a knee injury sustained by hooker Mike Sherry.
Keatley’s second penalty soon after the restart was followed by a try from Stander as he muscled past a couple of defenders from a couple of metres. The genesis of Munster’s better attacking moments came from a largely excellent lineout maul, where huge credit must go to Sherry and his replacement Duncan Casey given he conditions.
It was Casey that grabbed his side’s third try, trundling over at the back of a maul, following a Keatley’s beautifully-judged penalty kick to the corner. The outhalf added the conversion.
English referee Mathew Carley had tolerated frequent Treviso transgressions but his patience ran out in the 74th minute when prop Matteo Muccignat gave away the team’s 14th penalty.
Foley admitted: “It was 10-2, 13-2 in penalty counts at one stage and you are there going, ‘are they (officials) ever?’. I thought the referee managed the game pretty well. In those conditions he could have brought the game down to a pretty low level by blowing the whistle an awful lot. I thought he let it flow and let players decide the game.”
Express of relief
The roar that greeted Zebo’s try, two minutes later was as much an expression of relief as anything. Stander stood out in a fine performance by the pack, Murray and Keatley kicked superbly at times – it wasn’t a night for the three-quarter line but they did have one or two neat cameos – while fullback Andrew Conway had a brilliant evening when factoring in the conditions.
The Munster coach paid tribute to his team individually in some cases and collectively before expressing an overall satisfaction.
“We are in a place where we want to be, second in the Pro12 and we managed a bonus point at home in very trying conditions.
“We know what’s going to face us when we play the French champions (Stade Francais) in Paris next week. It’ll be an emotional occasion (but) it’s about playing a game of rugby.
“We (rugby players) live in a different world to most people. Everybody was touched by what happened last night (Friday). We try and keep a ban on Twitter but a lot of people were quite open about the shock they felt at what was going on.
“It is about getting a focus on the job. You do understand that it is not the most important job in the world. We have to go and represent our people on Sunday and make sure that we do it in the right manner; get it done.”
Scoring sequence: 4 mins: Botha try, Keatley conversion, 7-0; 16: Steyn try, Hayward conversion, 7-7; 18: Keatley penalty, 10-7. Halftime: 10-7. 48: Keatley penalty, 13-7; 55: Stander try, 18-7; 68: Casey try, Keatley conversion, 25-7; 75: Zebo try, Keatley conversion, 32-7.
MUNSTER: A Conway; K Earls, F Saili, D Hurley, S Zebo; I Keatley, C Murray; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, BJ Botha; D Ryan, M Chisholm; Dave O'Callaghan, J O'Donoghue, CJ Stander (capt). Replacements: D Casey for Sherry (28 mins), J Cronin for Kilcoyne (49 mins), R Copeland for O'Callaghan (55 mins), D Foley for Chisholm (66 mins), J Ryan for BJ Botha (72 mins), T O'Leary for Murray (78 mins), R Scannell for Keatley (78 mins), L Amorosino for Conway (78 mins), Kilcoyne for Casey (79 mins).
BENETTON TREVISO: L McLean; L Nitoglia, J Hayward, E Bacchin, T Iannone; J Ambrosini, E Gori; M Zanusso, M Gega, R Harden; R Douglas Naude, JF Montauriol; F Minto, A Zanni, A Steyn. Replacements: M Barbini for Zanni (28 mins), D Giazzon for Gega (half-time), F Fillipetto for Harden (49 mins), D Budd for Naude (49 mins), C Smylie for Nitoglia (55 mins), M Muccignat for Zanusso (71 mins). Yellow card: M Muccignat 74 mins.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England).
