Job done for Munster but plenty of room for improvement in return tie

Munster 36, Perpignan 8: Job done and all in all a satisfying outcome for Munster, who blooded some new players at this level and emerged with a bonus-point, five-tries-to-one win.

The 23,615 crowd stayed with the home team until the end, yet there was the curiously mixed feeling that Munster might have put Perpignan to the sword even more ruthlessly, while at the same time the Catalans left about three break-out tries behind before their late consolation score.

With their injury toll mounting, it will have particularly pleased the Munster coaching staff that Cathal Sheridan made light of Conor Murray's early departure – all the more so as Murray had continued where he left off against the All Blacks – when pressed into service in the 15th minute.

There was also a lively eight-minute cameo at the end from the debutant Shannon hooker Duncan Casey, but although Munster scrummed well, this was after the Munster line-out seriously malfunctioned in the second half, and three lost Damien Varley throws scarcely tells the tale.

Primarily as a result of this faultline, after a very bright start Munster made heavy weather of making their huge territorial supremacy count – in part founded on a 14-5 penalty count as Perpignan clung on desperately.

James Downey was again grossly under-used and though Paul O'Connell and David Kilcoyne occasionally trucked it up, too often the Perpignan defence was able to drift across and so when Felix Jones hit the line he invariably hit traffic.

Touchline
On at least five occasions they effectively allowed Perpignan to use the touchline as their best defender, and the pity was that Keith Earls again looked in prime nick. It didn't help that Casey Laulala had one of those days when he overplayed the ball and forced things too much, although at times again team-mates were not on his wavelength.

Generally, Munster had better reward when they attacked more directly, and in the final analysis two of their tries came off close-range lineouts and another was a pushover try by the pack, while Earls’ solo effort from half-way was off a turnover.

That also effectively killed the contest. Perpignan won the toss but curiously opted to play into the wind, and by half-time the game was out of their reach. Munster’s 22-0 lead was also due in large measure to a high-tempo, high-intensity start.

They were helped, in this regard, by the utter lack of intensity and work-rate from the Catalans, typified by the half-hearted chase to James Hook's clearance kick from a well-placed diagonal punt by Ian Keatley barely two minutes into the contest.

This afforded Johne Murphy time to pick his line and pick out Murray to his left as the few chasers were drawn to the ball. Murray made ground and deftly flipped a one-handed pass inside to Murphy who offloaded for Sean Dougall to fend off Sofiane Guitone for a classic openside's try.

Ian Keatley converted and after his crosskick just eluded Jones he tagged on a penalty. Earls superbly stepped inside only to opt for a difficult inside lob in front of Murray as Keatley offered a try-scoring switch back outside but then, after Guitone countered away from Murphy, Earls misread an attempted intercept to allow the dangerous Watisoni Votu to break out.

Covering tackle
It required a superb, ball-and-man covering tackle by Jones on Camille Lopez after Keatley had nabbed Terrain to prevent a try, and after Murray departed, only superb covering from the opposite wing by Murphy prevented Guitone scoring from a Hook-led foot rush.

Sanity, or what passes for more normal service hereabouts on Heineken Cup days, then prevailed as Munster twice opted for penalties to the corner.

Although Varley’s overthrow eluded O’Connell, in what would be a portent of things to come, Peter O’Mahony gathered and arced around the front, sparking a sequence of pick-and-go drives which culminated in David Kilcoyne scoring.

Sheridan made a couple of ankle-enveloping tackles on Votu, but Munster’s lateral running game was going nowhere until Sheridan tackled Terrain on half-way, and O’Mahony ripped the ball away with a little help from O’Connell as it bounced obligingly for Earls.

Off he went on a 50-metre sprint up the touchline and whereas Keatley nailed a fine touchline conversion, Hook missed a penalty with the last kick of the half.

Disallowed
Hook atoned soon after the restart after another Varley overthrow, and Guitone had a try disallowed after JJ Hanrahan, on for the injured Keatley, caught Varley unawares by firing a switch pass to him, only for the final pass by Charteris to be deemed forward after recourse to the TMO.

After much huffing and puffing, they brought Earls up the middle off a scrum, set targets closer in and again twice went to the corner before a line-out drive was illegally taken down by Kisi Pulu. Craig Gardner binned him after awarding the penalty try.

Alas more pummelling by the forwards, the South African pair of CJ Stander and BJ Botha providing ballast off the bench; Downey’s try-scoring pass to Earls was deemed forward by the TMO and instead they had to settle for a pushover try before Dewaldt Duvenage and Hook worked a blindside overlap for Joffrey Michel.

That will annoy Munster, but maybe also provide a timely reminder of what Perpignan will bring to next Saturday’s return rendezvous in the Stade Aimé Giral.