Battling Munster go down to All Blacks XV in absorbing Thomond Park clash

The scoreline doesn’t really do Munster, the game or the occasion any justice, and however much some cynics may scoff at such an old-school fixture, as long as these two continue to pack Thomond Park to the rafters and produce 80 absorbing minutes like this, it’s a tradition worth keeping.
True to type, a somewhat cobbled together Munster selection cast aside a difficult start to the week following the sudden departure of Graham Rowntree. Under the interim charge of their chief fireman Ian Costello and the rest of the coaching staff, Munster suffered some fierce pain in the collisions but fired shots aplenty. That said, they missed a trick not having this game on terrestrial television.
Peter O’Mahony was an inspiration and spiritual leader in his 40-minute effort before being replaced during half-time and was in no apparent discomfort at the post-match handshakes.
His departure seemed preordained and in his absence his fellow backrowers Gavin Coombes and John Hodnett carried the fight with mighty performances. Diarmuid Kilgallen had an encouraging debut and there were some eye-catching showings from the quintet of academy subs, especially Irish Under-20 lock Evan O’Connell.
Ultimately, though, as well as more oomph in their carries and tackles, notably man of the match Fabian Holland and captain Du’Plessis Kirifi, the All Blacks had the more potent array of game breakers, be it their footwork, power or strength. That was the defining point of difference.
The home heroes were welcomed into the cauldron, the darkness illuminated by the lights from mobile phones in the 26,267 capacity crowd as the pounding rhythms of Zombie rang out.
Munster needed to start strongly to keep the home crowd enthused and engaged, and initially they asked all the attacking questions. O’Mahony was putting himself about and while Diarmuid Barron was technically the captain, old habits die hard and it was the former skipper who was engaging with the Japanese referee Takehito Namekawa
O’Mahony was also putting himself about with abandon, and his spoiling would be instrumental in some of Munster’s best moments. But so too was his skill on the ball, as when releasing Diarmuid Kilgallen with his first pass and run in Munster colours, running through Brodie McAlister before being stopped by Chay Fihaki.
Although Munster were pinged at the first two scrums, they continued to make the early running. Tom Ahern won a muscular turnover at an All Blacks lineout which led to a high tackle by lock Isaia Walker-Leawere.
Tom Farrell made inroads in the ensuing lineout launch play and offloaded to the supporting Calvin Nash, but Ethan Coughlan kicked out on the full.
The first quarter pivoted on two penalties from in front of the posts, when both teams opted to turn down eminently kickable three-pointers. Billy Burns only found touch 15 metres out and a few phases after the lineout he was nabbed attempting a wraparound and the All Blacks counter-rucked, another feature of the first half, to win the turnover.
By contrast, when Harry Plummer arrowed a penalty into the corner the ball went dead, but brushed Kilgallen’s fingertips, so affording the All Blacks a five-metre scrum. This led to a scrum penalty and a second scrum, from which Plummer switched left and sped on to the ball for AJ Lam, nephew of Pat, to steam through Farrell’s tackle with an out-in line.
Soon afterwards, from a lost Munster lineout at the tail inside halfway, Shaun Stevenson’s footwork made inroads, as did the strength and offloading of centre Quinn Tupaea and winger Kini Naholo, with lock Holland twice carrying hard in support, before Fihaki sped on to Finlay Christie’s pass to score. Munster’s defence was left gasping, as were the crowd at the ease with which this potent attack was finished off.
But Munster responded superbly and were twice rewarded for going to the corner through Rory Scannell, with Burns receiving treatment, the spoiling of O’Mahony, Hodnett and Barron key to both penalties.
From the first, Barron’s throw hit Ahern at the tail to launch Coombes and the pack cranked up the heat; O’Mahony cleverly disguising one popped pass to Stephen Archer, and from the recycle quick hands by Coughlan and Farrell afforded Mike Haley a good finish.
Rory Scannell missed a kickable conversion, whereas Plummer had landed his second from the touchline, but after Coombes twice punched through the black wall and then carried a third time, the Munster pack took the conversion out of the equation by rumbling over to earn a penalty try for collapsing with the last play of the half to make it 12-14.
What’s more, serial offender Walker-Leawere was binned for being the culprit.
However, even in his absence, soon after the restart (which was critically spilled by Ahern) and a disallowed try for Kirifi due to the Australian TMO Damon Murphy spotting an early knock-on, the seven-man visiting back mauled toward the line for McAlister to finish.
Again Plummer converted, again Munster responded by kicking a penalty from in front of the posts toward the corner and again they were rewarded with a couple of muscular catch-and-drives, the second of which Hodnett finished. Alas, again Rory Scannell missed a kickable conversion, and so despite three tries apiece, the All Blacks led 21-17.
They extended that lead after countering from a Tony Butler clearance, Devan Flanders ploughing through Paddy Patterson (just on for his first appearance since suffering a knee injury on New Year’s Day) and as the Munster defence honeypotted infield, Quinn Tupaea scored off Stevenson’s crosskick.
But back came Munster again, generating momentum from another spilled restart before Rory Scannell bounced to his feet, broke another tackle and offloaded for Farrell to finish by the posts. So Butler’s conversion made it a two-point game.
On came Evan O’Connell for a debut he’ll never forget and with his first action, the son of Justin and nephew of Paul, latched over the ball to win a turnover penalty. Cue the day’s biggest rendition of The Fields and a huge siege by Munster which was gathering momentum when Fineen Wycherley rumbled toward the line only for Kirifi to win a turnover penalty.
Next the All Blacks looked likely to score when Tupaea offloaded for the supporting Noah Hotham only for Coombes to strain every sinew in making the tackle. The reconfigured, more inexperienced Munster scrum was now earning penalties and soon after Kilgallen was tackled into touch by the corner flag as Munster built up another head of steam.
Instead, just when it seemed that Wycherley was ripping turnover ball, it fell for the visitors’ lively replacement scrumhalf Hotham, who broke clear for Tupaea to give the try-scoring pass to Naholo. The crowd now becalmed, the final scoreline was given an unfair sheen when Plummer picked off an intercept try with the final play.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 23 mins: Lam try, Plummer con, 0-7; 29: Fihaki try, Plummer con, 0-14; 35: Haley try, 5-14; 40+1: Penalty try, 12-14; (half-time 12-14); 45: McAlister try, Plummer con, 12-21; 50: Hodnett try, 17-21; 58: Tupaea try, 17-26; 61: Farrell try, Butler con, 24-26; 76: Naholo try, Plummer con, 24-33; 80+6: Plummer try 24-38.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley: Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; John Ryan, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern; Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Ruadhán Quinn for O’Mahony (h-t); Kieran Ryan for J Ryan, Tony Butler for Burns (both 52 mins); Niall Scannell for Barron, Paddy Patterson for Coughlan (both 55); Evan O’Connell for Ahern (62); Ronan Foxe for Archer, Ben O’Connor for McCarthy (both 71).
ALL BLACKS XV: Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs/North Harbour); Chay Fihaki (Crusaders/Canterbury), AJ Lam (Blues/Auckland), Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs/Waikato), Kini Naholo (Hurricanes/Taranaki); Harry Plummer (Blues/Auckland), Finlay Christie (Blues/Tasman); George Bower (Crusaders/Otago), Brodie McAlister (Crusaders/Canterbury), George Dyer (Chiefs/Waikato); Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay), Fabian Holland (Highlanders/Otago); Oliver Haig (Highlanders/Otago), Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes/Wellington, capt), Devan Flanders (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay).
Replacements: Ruben Love (Hurricanes/Wellington) for Fihaki (47 mins); Xavier Numia (Hurricanes/Wellington) for Bower, Marcel Renata (Blues/Auckland) for Dyer (both 51); Bradley Slater (Chiefs/Taranaki) for McAlister (58); Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty) for Holland, Noah Hotham (Crusaders/Tasman) for Christie (both 66); Josh Jacomb (Chiefs/Taranaki) for Stevenson (72). Not used: Corey Kellow (Crusaders/Canterbury).
Sinbinned: Walker-Leawere (40+1-50 mins).
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Japan).