Munster counting the cost of Connacht defeat as injuries pile up

Oli Jager and Jack O’Donoghue in doubt for Toulon trip but Peter O’Mahony could return to action

Connacht's Jack Aungier looks up at Munster's Scott Buckley as he scores a try during the BKT United Rugby Championship match at the The Sportsground in Galway. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Connacht's Jack Aungier looks up at Munster's Scott Buckley as he scores a try during the BKT United Rugby Championship match at the The Sportsground in Galway. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
URC: Connacht 22 Munster 9

Munster are counting the costs of losing their New Year’s Day interprovincial to Connacht both on the URC table and their squad.

Both Jack O’Donoghue (knee) and Oli Jager (head knock) were the latest to join the injury list, and head coach Graham Rowntree says their loss was significant in falling to the hosts at the Galway Sportsground.

O’Donoghue with a knee injury and Jager with a head knock will be assessed during the week as Munster prepare for their visit to Toulon.

“We are not winning games, but not getting smashed in games either. We have to learn quickly. That game got away from us in the last 90 seconds,” he says.

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“I see what they do in training, I see what they can do. I’ve seen us before in adversity and come through it. We’ve always got experience to fall back. I’m a realist, we’ll fix what we can.”

On a brighter note, Rowntree is confident that Peter O’Mahony will return from the shoulder injury he picked up in his first game back following the World Cup in time for Saturday week’s game in France.

“I suspect he’s in the mix for Toulon, we’ll know more by the end of this week. We tried to bring him back, we’ve not rushed him back, but on each occasion he is not quite been ready so he gets pushed on a week.

“We have a gap week now and after that there is no game this weekend so we’ll assess him towards the end of the week.”

Rowntree confirmed that negotiations are still ongoing with O’Mahony on a contract renewal with his IRFU deal finishing at the end of this season.

“Yes, his contract is up for renewal. It’s ongoing, it’s another little thing to keep me busy in the day, the ongoing contract negotiations all the time.”

Thus all the New Year’s Day cheer at the Galway Sportgound was celebrated by the home side, whose enthusiasm was not dampened by the incessant rain as they fired all the shots in the final 10 minutes to secure a merited victory over their Munster counterparts.

“No razzle-dazzle, but nor was it a scruffy arm wrestle,” says Connacht’s Pete Wilkins.

“In the context of a home interpro, it was enormously important we demonstrate the fight and rugby smarts for the people who were standing out there in atrocious conditions.

“At every level it was important we got the result, and it was a convincing result. It wasn’t just hanging on for life at the end. I thought it was thoroughly deserved.

“There was some impressive and long sets of defence, which we knew would be important against Munster and the type of rugby they play. I think areas of our game stood up, like our defence. We started to get an ascendancy in the scrum, and the second half we saw some of the smarts around our game management and quality of the kicking game.”

While Rowntree’s outfit, as expected, played to their strengths, Connacht delivered all the key moments in a second half which they bossed.

The home side had led at half-time by 6-3 and the game remained in the balance until Connacht pulled away after 65 minutes, delivering 10 points from a Jack Aungier try and Hanrahan’s boot.

Connacht's Shayne Bolton celebrates after Jack Aungier scores a try. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Connacht's Shayne Bolton celebrates after Jack Aungier scores a try. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho

Munster, however, looked in charge after dominating possession and territory in the opening half. They were denied an early try when Gavin Coombes had the chance to score after blocking down an attempted clearance from Caolin Blade, but on review the lock’s best efforts to stay in touch were denied.

Instead it was Connacht who gained the initiative thanks to a Cian Prendergast break down field, but after going through the numerous phases, Munster’s defence held firm.

However, in atrociously wet conditions which proved difficult for both sides, Connacht lost Cahill Forde to a head knock before Munster’s Oli Jager was forced off with a similar injury after trying to find a way between Finlay Bealham and Joe Joyce.

Joyce was similarly influential when Munster’s John Ryan found himself penalised for not rolling away, and JJ Hanrahan was able to open the scoring with a penalty kick after 17 minutes to break the early deadlock.

Munster were not long in replying when a poor clearance from Connacht provided the visitors with the opportunity 10 metres out, and Tony Butler made no mistake to level the scores.

Opportunities for the home side were limited – a crooked lineout did not help – but mistakes continued to mount for both sides, and Connacht’s failure to clear their lines – Carty’s kick being blocked down – put the home side under more pressure in defending the Munster line.

In all sorts of bother as Munster’s big men delivered incisive thrusts to the line, Connacht eventually conceded the penalty when Finlay Bealham was pinged for not rolling away. It was an easy kick for outhalf Butler, who put the visitors into a 6-3 lead nearing the halfway mark.

Connacht’s continuing box-kicking policy did little to provide the headway they needed, and it was a relief when the half-time whistle blew as Munster suffered another injury when Jack O’Donoghue was stretchered off with a knee injury and Connacht’s Byron Ralston yellow card for a dangerous tackle.

The visitors continued to dominate after the break before a penalty relieved some pressure for the home side who had struggled to gain field position, and another provided Pete Wilkins’s side with an opportunity to draw level, with JJ Hanrahan nailing his kick from the 10m line after 45 minutes.

Both outhalves exchanged penalties soon after to keep the sides deadlocked until Connacht, with a new front row in situ, won a penalty. Hanrahan stuck it perfectly to put Connacht into the lead for the first time since the opening minutes. It was a palpable boost and the game ramped up even more when Connacht won a penalty on 70 minutes.

Hanrahan, from halfway, struck his kick perfectly, giving the home crowd even more reason to cheer, and although the 31-years-old former Munster man was just short with another effort, the home side maintained their hold on territory and possession.

In the end a monster kick from Jack Carty delivered the opportunity three metres from the line. An overthrown lineout from Munster was secured by Tierney Martin, driven forward with Denis Buckley and then smuggled to Jack Aungier who scored. Hanrahan added the conversion to secure a memorable victory over their Irish rivals.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 16 mins: Hanrahan pen, 3-0; 22: Butler pen, 3-3; 31: Butler pen, 3-6; Half-time: 3-6. 45: Hanrahan pen, 6-6; 57: Butler pen, 6-9; 59: Hanrahan pen, 9-9; 66: Hanrahan pen, 12-9; 71: Hanrahan pen 15-9; 77: Aungier try, Hantrahan con, 22-9.

CONNACHT: M Hansen; B Ralston, C Forde, B Aki, S Bolton; JJ Hanrahan, C Blade (capt); P Dooley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; D Murray J Joyce; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, J Butler.

Replacements: J Carty for Forde (9 mins); D Buckley for Dooley and N Murray for D Murray (both 52); J Aungier for Bealham (57); C Oliver for Hurley-Langton (60); D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan (64); M McDonald for Blade (65); O Dowling for Joyce (71).

Yellow card: Ralston (40 mins).

MUNSTER: S Zebo; C Nash, A Frisch, R Scannell, S Daly; T Butler, C Murray; J Loughman, S Buckley, O Jager; G Coombes. T Beirne (capt); T Ahern, J Hodnett, J O’Donoghue.

Replacements: J Ryan for Jager (11 mins); A Kendellen for O’Donoghue (40); S O’Brien for Butler (71); P Patterson for Murray (74); J Wycherley for Loughman, B Gleeson for Hodnett (both 76).

Referee: C Busby (IRFU)

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