MUNSTER COACH ROB PENNEY had several reasons for optimism after watching his side punish Connacht for their mistakes at The Sportsground.
Munster beat their hosts 32-23 and took home a try-scoring bonus point in the process. There were no serious knocks to worry Penney ahead of next weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-final clash with Toulon.
The New Zealander told RTE that he expected a difficult evening in Galway as Connacht, having shipped 58 points against Ulster, attempted to tighten up defensively.
Asked if Munster needed to play their best game of the season to beat defending Heineken Cup champions Toulon, next weekend, Penney responded in the affirmative. He added, “We thought that against Toulouse [too] and, obviously, going away and playing Toulon. We’ll need to be at our very best and then some.” He reasoned:
Connacht are tough in their home ground but, without being disrespectful, honestly it is chalk and cheese. We’re going down to play a top side — the reigning champions of European rugby. It’s a massive ask for us but we’ll prepare well and we look forward to having lots of Munster people down there and giving it a good shot.”
Speaking to reporters, post-match, Penney commented, “Connacht are a good side; they’ve played some good rugby today. They showed, at times, they are a capable unit and tough to break down. We made a number of changes coming into this game and gave people an opportunity coming into next week. Some of them really put their hands up and to get five points up here truly is a bonus.”
Penney was delighted that none of the 21 players he used on Saturday picked up knocks. “Those that needed a bit more footy got that,” he added, “those that wanted a rest got that. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, given the distractions of next week.”
Connacht coach Pat Lam, for his part, struggled to pick out the positives of another game in which his team leaked tries. He told RTE, “Bottom line is, we gifted [Munster] 32 points. Our main thing, in rugby, is you look after the ball — you are selfless, to look after it for the team.
“Players [here] aspire to go to the next level. The difference between a good player and a great player is making good decisions and executing them. We put them under a lot of pressure, turned the ball over and they went up the other end and scored. I’m very disappointed.”
He added, “A few players got exposed today but that’s the learning. That’s the hard reality. We’ve all been there; I’ve been there. It’s about how we learn from it and move on.”
– Additional reporting by Aaron Turner @ConnachtClan
