Munster 28-14 South Africa Select XV
The surroundings may have been new, but this felt like the Munster of old.
With more than 41,000 tickets to their Páirc Uí Chaoimh debut having been snapped up within days, there was little chance the occasion would fall short of expectation.
There was less certainty about the result, but Munster have built their reputation on living up to the occasion.
In howling wind and rain, Graham Rowntree's side produced their biggest and best performance of the season, navigating a ferocious South African scrum for a famous 28-14 win.
The natives laid the platform, local boys Shane Daly and Simon Zebo scoring first-half tries, while Gavin Coombes took out his international frustrations on the tourists with brutal physicality.
Edwin Edogbo’s rise continued with another towering performance, while the province’s fans will also have been hugely excited by their new centre Antoine Frisch, whose graceful handling in less than graceful weather cut South Africa open for the game’s first score.
On top of the tries for Daly and Zebo, Diarmuid Barron’s pushover try, and three Ben Healy conversions gave them a 21-7 lead at the break, having had the benefit of the conditions at their back for the opening 40.
But with the rain and wind sneezing into their faces from the City End, they made the ideal start to the second half with their fourth try, this time through Mike Haley, giving them a cushion they would badly need in the final 37 minutes.
They struggled at times in the second half to deal with a thundering South African pack, and while the visitors pulled back a try through substitute Sikhumbuzo Notshe, it was Liam O’Connor who came up trumps with a late scrum penalty to ensure they would hold out, and add South Africa to the long list of touring sides who have fallen short on Munster soil.
If there was any doubt about the wind, the opening kicks painted a clear picture, Paddy Patterson sending two a bit longer than he'd like, before Suleiman Hartzenberg’s return got caught in the gust and blew out on the full.
It gave the hosts a lineout 30 metres from the line, and with just two minutes played they used it to strike for the opening try.
New signing Kiran McDonald took the lineout, and while their maul didn’t gain much ground, their outside backs did. After a couple of one-out phases, Healy’s flat pass found Frisch, and his underhand offload put Haley into space, with the full-back passing to Daly, who sprinted over in the corner.
Even in a new ground, the same Munster silence greeted Healy’s conversion, and he drilled it between the posts to cap off a perfect 7-0 start.
The tourists responded positively to the early blow, and began to control the game as the first quarter developed.
A well-placed grubber kick and a Haley handling error gave them a five-metre scrum, and having won a penalty under the posts moments later they turned down the easy shot at goal in favour of another eight-man shove.
Having moved left off the scrum with Hendricks and Buthelezi, another penalty advantage followed for offside, before they whipped play to the right wing, where Fassi was waiting to finish off an overlap.
Kicking straight into the wind, Goosen’s conversion needed every inch to make it over the posts, as he levelled things up at 7-7.
With seven of the eight South African forwards capped at Test level, they were causing Munster huge problems at the scrum, winning two penalties, and one advantage, but after finally getting a strong, blindside shove on 22 minutes, it provided the gainline success for Munster which led to a penalty and an attack at the 22.
Barron found Edogbo with the lineout, and after the Springboks infringed, Munster went back to the touchline. Again, the hooker went for Edogbo, but this time Ruan Nortje had them sussed as he flicked it back to safety.
It was a brief reprieve, as the South Africans continued to give up breakdown penalties, and when Munster got back down into a scoring position on 28 minutes they made it stick.
A strong maul brought them close to the line, where another advantage was to follow, and Healy whipped a looping pass out to Zebo on the wing, the Blackrock boy diving over in the corner of the Blackrock End to score.
To make Healy’s touchline conversion even tougher, the rain was now sheeting down, but it didn’t stop him splitting the posts to make it 14-7.
They could, and should, have scored their third try on 36 minutes when Daly’s pass put O’Donoghue into space, but after holding onto the ball for too long, his pass to the supporting Patterson was forward.
They weren’t left to rue the error. From the resulting scrum they forced a penalty, and sensing the momentum, went for the corner.
O’Donoghue made up for his earlier error by claiming the lineout ball, before they marched their maul over to score, Barron getting the decisive touchdown, and Healy adding the extras to make it 21-7.
With little over 30 seconds left in the half, the South Africans very nearly cut the lead. Back-to-back penalties saw them within five metres of the Munster line, but the hosts produced a crucial defensive stand to hold out the maul, and maintain their 14-point advantage into the half time break.
The 14-point lead became 21 within three minutes of the restart.
Patterson created it out of nowhere, chipping over the top of the South African defence and winning the race to the bouncing ball, to get Munster up within a few metres of the line.
And after working their way through some short phases, Healy dated a grubber through for Haley to slide in and score, before the out-half maintained his 100% record off the tee to make it 28-7.
The 21-point buffer was badly needed, as the visitors came back strong. Back-to-back penalties saw them move deep into the 22, and after opting for a scrum, it looked like they had cut the gap when Hartzenberg dived over in the corner to score.
But after checking in with TMO Rowan Kitt, the try was wiped off, the winger’s foot grazing the touchline after an incredible last-ditch tackle by Patrick Campbell.
South Africa were dominating territory and possession, but time was running out. Right on the hour they saw another potential score denied when Notshe was held up over the line, but having come back for a scrum five metres out, Munster were again penalised, with Liam O’Connor sent to the sin-bin, a result of multiple penalties against his side in quick succession.
They couldn’t hold out any longer, and another powerful South African scrum led to Notsche going over for a try on 62 minutes, and the conversion from substitute Gianni Lombard trimmed the scoreline to 28-14, with just over a quarter of an hour left to play.
With conditions against them and now a man down, Graham Rowntree’s side needed smart rugby, and produced it.
Playing the game in their opponents’ half, they forced a pair of breakdown penalties which Healy sent to touch, and while South Africa managed to win back possession, they were still chasing a 14-point deficit with 10 minutes left to play.
Scrums were as good as penalties to them though, and when they again forced Munster backwards on 72 minutes, they returned to the 22 just as O’Connor reappeared after his yellow card.
And it was the Corkman who dealt the decisive blow five minutes from time, not with a try, but with a scrum, forcing a penalty and a chance for Munster to clear their lines, as they saw out another famous win.
They’ll be back here again.
Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Simon Zebo; Ben Healy, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa; Edwin Edogbo, Kiran McDonald; Jack O'Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Liam O’Connor, Keynan Knox, Cian Hurley, Alex Kendellen, Neil Cronin, Patrick Campbell, Malakai Fekitoa.
South Africa Select XV: Aphelele Fassi; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Henco van Wyk, Cornal Hendricks, Leolin Zas; Johan Goosen, Herschel Jantjies; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Joseph Dweba, Thomas du Toit (captain), Jason Jenkins, Ruan Nortje; Phepsi Buthelezi, Elrigh Louw, Jean-Luc du Preez
Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Simphiwe Matanzima, Sazi Sandi, Dan du Preez, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Grant Williams, Sanele Nohamba, Gianni Lombard
Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
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