RUGBY:SUNDAY BRUNCH-TIME is no time for a Heineken Cup classic and so it came to pass. Munster's somewhat subdued and laboured 19-13 win over the Scarlets was actually a meat-and-two-veg serving by their standards, although then again Munster tend to save their Euro haute cuisine until January.

In point of fact though, a fourth win in four pool matches gives Munster a five-point lead in what is an ultra competitive pool and victory in their penultimate pool game at home to Castres could actually secure qualification for the knock-out stages before the last day trek to the stadium.mk against Northampton.

Compared to the 10-try feast at the Aviva the previous night, events at Thomond Park yesterday almost felt like a different sport, but though something of a slow burner, with the result in doubt until the end, it at least made for a more competitive 80 minutes.

With Leinster enjoying a six-point lead in pool three, and Ulster atop the bristling three-way fight for qualification in pool four, and even allowing for Connacht’s heartbreaking inability to buy a win, the Irish provinces head into the festive period in good cheer.

No that you’d have suspected as much judging by the reaction emanating from the home dressingroom in Thomond Park.

Once more Munster started slowly, early set-piece malfunctions giving them only one attacking platform in the opening quarter, missed first-up tackles and ragged defending putting them on the back foot.

They also repeated their habit of letting the opposition back into the game after hard-earned scores rather than ruthlessly pressing home their advantage and, but for some white line fever, should never have let it become an edgy one-score endgame.

They just cannot make it easy for themselves or their coaches. “The clock hasn’t really been our friend for four games really and that’s a real big thing for us, to control the scoreboard but also control the clock,” lamented Tony McGahan a tad wearily.

“We work so hard for our points and then we let the opposition straight back in with three points or field position. If we have any thoughts of going further in this competition we need to make sure we recognise that.”

One almost felt like reminding McGahan that Munster were actually atop the group with four wins from four, and it transpired the coach had felt compelled to do just that with his players moments earlier.

“The players are really quiet in there, they are really disappointed with their performance. But as I said you need to step back and give yourself a pat on the back because we are in a pool which is so competitive. You need to sit back sometimes and say well done and say we are going in the right direction.

“There’s enough people out there to bring you down whether you need it or don’t need it, so give the players some praise when they deserve it for the way they are fighting.

“The four sides in the pool, Scarlets, Northampton and Castres can get bonus point results so we will look at it this way, that all three of those can get 10 points and that’s what we need to be doing in three weeks’ time.”

McGahan praised the Scarlets approach to the encounter. “They came with a real conviction about the way they wanted to play. They played a lot of width and they certainly caught us out on the fringes.”

He also lamented Munster’s work in contact, their set-piece inaccuracy in the first quarter and the failure to press home a 19-6 lead.

“We really came here today to improve what we have been trying to do and whilst we got through we recognise there is a hell of a lot of work to do.

“It is a little indicative of where we are as a squad. We have a lot of belief that we are still growing in this competition, but after the way we fought so hard in the previous three games they were expecting a more complete performance.”

Considering this was his first game after a five-week lay-off and he was reverting to outside centre again, the manner in which Keith Earls settled into an assured attacking and defensive groove was encouraging for both province and country and probably re-affirmed his standing as the favourite to inherit the number 13 jersey from you-know-who in the Six Nations.

“At 13 he gave us a little bit of difference there, we would have liked him to have more time with the ball as you do with all your quality players. Keith will certainly be better for the run there,” said McGahan.

By rights, both Munster and Leinster should be targeting hugely advantageous and lucrative home quarter-finals now. Had an under-strength Montpellier beaten Glasgow at home instead of drawing with them six days before hosting Toulouse in the Top 14, Leinster would be sitting even prettier.

“We would probably have preferred Montpellier to get a win and deny Glasgow a bonus point,” admitted Joe Schmidt.

“They were on three points and even if they got a bonus point they would only be on eight. Glasgow were our closest chaser in the group and we have to go to Firhill, so those two elements don’t make us too comfortable. In mid-January it’s going to be a pretty tough old place to go.”

Smiling, Schmidt reminded us that Leinster had yet to win at Firhill under his watch.

“I made my first-class debut playing against Sean Lineen (the Glasgow coach) and I lost that game so I would love to get that win in Firhill, which would really open up that opportunity for us to come back here to let us do our very best to get that home quarter-final.”