MUNSTER COACH ANTHONY Foley felt his side were well worth their 28-13 victory over Leinster in the Pro12 this evening, and lamented their narrow failure to register a fourth try towards the end of the game.
“You get what you deserve,” he told TG4. “We came out and we performed, and we got on top in certain areas.
“We built a lead and we managed to hold onto it. It’d be greedy to talk about a fourth try, but we were a referee decision away from getting one.”
The coach also expressed relief that his side’s poor run of form came to an end on a windy night in Thomond Park.
“There are aspects of the game that we’ll take away and bring to Connacht. There are no guarantees and there’s definitely something to build on from here, and it’s also nice to put an end to a run of losses.”
Asked what the difference was between the two sides, Foley cited “use of the ball”.
“We used it a small bit better than Leinster,” he explained. “We competed and if any ball broke, we won it.
“We didn’t have a whole pile of set pieces to play off in the first half, but our unstructured game was quite good. We got good numbers around the ball, we got good carries and we remained patient in their half of the pitch.”
Munster now must prepare for their clash away against Connacht in a week’s time, and the former Ireland international is looking forward to the game.
“Connacht under Pat Lam have built a real fortress up there and it’s our next trip in six days, so we’ve got to refresh the lads and get them right for that. We’re really going to look forward to that going up and meeting Pat’s team. They’re obviously playing this evening, so we’re seeing where they’re at as well. Interpro local derbies are always interesting affairs.”
Foley also expressed satisfaction with the performances of some of the less experienced members of the squad, particularly with many high-profile players out injured.
“We’re down the four international lads obviously and we have a whole load of other lads injured, so there are guys stepping up.
“It’s great for Neil Cronin. He sat on the bench against Ulster and didn’t get a run, but he’s come in from Garryowen and got five or six minutes tonight, so he’s really chuffed with that.
“We’ve Kevin O’Byrne in developement… We’re down to the bare bones, but you don’t hear the boys complaining about it — they get on with it. They’re a great bunch of lads to work for and I can’t ask anymore out of them.”
