IN TRUTH, CLERMONT deserved their four points in Thomond Park but had the final set-piece of the game gone Munster’s way, the French side could have come away with only two.
Anthony Foley’s men probed desperately in the closing minutes, hammering at the superb Clermont defence in vain.
A last-minute line-out five metres from the Clermont provided one concluding opportunity to at least allow Ian Keatley a kick to draw the game.
In such circumstances, most defensive teams would opt to stay on the ground and set themselves more ideally to defend the maul. Instead, Clermont made the ballsy decision to get into the air, with Damien Chouly picking off the ball in front of Paul O’Connell.
I saw that Paul O’Connell had called the two last line-outs to himself,” shrugged Clermont captain Chouly post-match, “so I told the guys to lift me and it worked.”
As simple as that? Was it something Clermont’s analysis had pinpointed in the build-up?
“Just during the game he adjusted his call and I saw it. It was psychology as well.”
Clermont edged the line-out battle in an overall sense, while their maul try was in contrast to Munster’s failings in that area. The scrum swung into Munster’s favour in the second-half as Wayne Barnes pinged the Frenchmen at least three times.
Chould expects Munster to bring even more in that aspect next weekend at Stade Marcel Michelin.
“It is a big part of the game,” said Choly at Thomond Park. “I think we can do better next week.
“It’s great, clearly, [to win] but we know they will be even more hungry next week so we have to be ready for that.”
Head coach Frank Azéma echoed his captain in pointing out that next weekend is no foregone conclusion. That said, he took pride in Clermont’s defensive showing, particularly in those final minutes.
We were in a comfortable position to win the game [at half-time] but the last five minutes showed that it was not finished.
“Certainly next week we have a big game. The defence was good, it was strong. In the last five minutes we were able to control this and and I’m very proud of the players because they give it all in the last five minutes.”
“The first part is finished and the second part starts next week, but it’s a good position to be in. We know in both games, it is important to take maximum points but we are in a good position tonight but when you see the last five minutes and the score, we may be wary next week.”
Munster we’re beaten in every facet bar probably the scrum! Very unlike the thomand park munster! They were very poor! Lacked drive and couldn’t match clermonts intensity
Munster out muscled by a better team. They don’t need their irish partners. They needed each other tonight and were lacking the killer instinct we assocuate with them . It hapoens from time to time. Some team if they can claw their way back but here’s hoping.
I know we were out muscled in the match , but come on Barnes didn’t help.
What exactly did he do that hurt us so badly? We fekked up 3 separate rolling mauls by dropping the ball. We lost multiple lineouts. We kicked out on the full and past the dead ball.
Except for 1-2 instances of offside whay exactly did Barnes do that has all our fans up in arms.
Chouly certainly played a captains part. He displayed leadership sorely lacking in the Munster side.
F##k off robsonkeane you wouldn’t know rugby if it hit you in the face!
Munsters where beaten by a fair and square put I won’t take any s##t talk by the likes of you.
You’ve Never been inside the gate of thomond, RDS, sports ground or raven hill .
Get back into your cave!
I don’t know why yer man above mr has red thumbs. Robson green is a throll FFs and on English apps like score he gets barred after few annoyin comments. This all was good months ago
Munster to unleash the fury in France
Delighted for you Flash Gordon/ Elrat.
How is caravan living working out for you ?
Very very hard for the lads to readjust after the Autumn Internationals. Murray needed Sexton, OConnell needed Toner, Zebo needed Kearney etc…etc Bowe, Best, etc. Let’s see how Leinster do tomorrow without their Munster and Ulster counterparts. Its a very tough transition. Well done Munster.
Bollox
That’s a heap of horse manure range
Total shiteee
I hope so lads.
There’s always some takers! Well done.
Range rover did you only start watching rugby yesterday!
When Poc needs tonner for back up we know Irish rugby is truly F##ked!
Sean, do you suggest POC plays in second row by himself? Moron.
No but to suggest POC was lost with out Tonner is truly moronic
What I thought was interesting was that the forwards who were taking the ball up in the 1st half from a one of pass from Murray were the forwards you would not associate with carrying ie Botha Casey and O Connell ( because every defender recognises him as the man to target for the “big hit”)
I think I only saw Stander carry the ball once in the 1st half !
In the second half Munster pounded Clermont into their own 22 with carries from the more productive forwards of Cronin, Stander, O’Donnell and Foley.
Anyone else notice this ?
Beaten out the gate..even though we were only 10 behind with the elements at our back for the second half. From the off we should have kicked a nasty grubber to the corner to put them under pressure. .no a nice kick to their guys who had us back on our 25 straight away. When our set plays failed..we should have returned to type.
No one pressed the button !
Munster to do a job on clermont in stade Michelin … I hope
It was wet, it was messy and munster didn’t kick enough.
Munster didn’t kick enough what planet are you on. They kicked too much ball and did it very badly. Absolute rubbish from Munster no shape ponderous attack predictable bulls**t . Players shoulder some blame coaches sent them out with a crap game plan and no plan b. It’s 2014 Axel not 2006 where you had a dominant pack and tactical genius