Scarlets 20 Munster 20MUNSTER ENSURED Ireland will have at least two of the four RaboDirect PRO12 play-off semi-finalists, although a draw against a team they had previously beaten 14 times in a row means they will have to defend their title the hard way by playing away.
The likelihood is Paul O’Connell’s men will face a repeat of last season’s semi-final against the Ospreys, although on that occasion they played at Thomond Park. The Welsh region has already done the double over their Irish rivals in the PRO12 this season and fancy their chances of winning a fourth title.
A dogged defensive display, especially in the second half when the Scarlets threw the kitchen sink at them, earned Munster a share of the points and ensured they cannot finish lower than fourth.
Depending on how Glasgow Warriors perform over their final two games, the only question is whether they will have to travel to Wales to face second-placed Ospreys or to Dublin to meet table-topping Leinster.
A big finish against Ulster at Thomond Park in two weeks’ time could yet be the key to avoiding a trip to the RDS. Losing home advantage is a big blow and, in all likelihood, it will mean two away games if Tony McGahan’s side are to end on a high before he heads home to Australia after four years as Munster director of coaching.
History shows that since the play-off system was introduced at the end of the regular PRO12 season two years ago, there has only been one away win in six matches – the Ospreys’ Grand Final triumph over Leinster at the RDS in 2010.
“We would have liked to have been in a position to chase down first or second place because we know how important home advantage is,” said McGahan.
“But we’re into a semi-final and the players want to make sure they finish the season in the right style and make up for our Heineken Cup exit. We still have a lot to play for and we want to make sure we get the right send-off for the players who are leaving at the end of the season. We have a lot of history against the Ospreys and they will be two evenly matched sides if we do end up playing them.
“They are a tremendous side, as we saw on Friday night when they beat the Dragons, and the way they have regrouped and refocused after not making the quarter-finals in the Heineken Cup is testament to them and their new coaching team.”
It was the fourth meeting between the Munster and the Scarlets this season and three wins and a draw is a pretty good return against a side that had only lost once at home all season in the PRO12 – to Leinster.
But by failing to make it 15 successive wins in a record that goes back to the Heineken Cup quarter-final at the old Stradey Park in 2007, Munster lost the chance to threaten the Ospreys’ hold of that all-important second place.
Munster showed clinical finishing in the first-half at Parc y Scarlets, scoring tries from Donnacha Ryan, who simply ran through Rhys Priestland, and Simon Zebo, who took an inside pass before racing past four defenders, to lead 17-10 at the break. They then demonstrated tremendous grit to defy a spirited home fightback in the second half.
Ian Keatley kicked 10 points, but opposite number Priestland converted an Aaron Shingler try and then landed a 45-metre penalty to level the scores to keep alive the Scarlets’ faint hopes of reaching the top four.
“The Scarlets made it very hard for us because they really upped the ante in the second half. We showed a lot of true Munster grit and a lot of fight for each other and it was great to hang on – it was pure determination,” admitted try scorer Ryan.
“We did well in the first half and brought a lot of intensity to the game. In the second half we put ourselves under pressure by trying to go to the miracle pass.”
SCARLETS: L Williams, G North, A Warren, S Jones, S Lamont, R Priestland, G Davies (T Knoyle 61); R Jones (S Gardiner 74), M Rees (capt, E Phillips 61), D Manu (P John 65), S Timani (K Murphy 55), D Day, A Shingler, J Turnbull, B Morgan.
MUNSTER: F Jones (I Dineen 65); L O'Dea; J Murphy; L Mafi; S Zebo; I Keatley; C Murray (T O'Leary 61); D Kilcoyne (W du Preez 52), M Sherry; BJ Botha (S Archer 71) M O'Driscoll (D O'Callaghan 67), P O'Connell (capt), D Ryan; T O'Donnell (P Butler 37); P O'Mahony.
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU).
