Munster bludgeoned their way to an all-important away win at the Kingspan Stadium on Sunday evening.
Mike Prendergast will be reviewing the attacking prowess of Munster's game this week with many improvements needed following the interprovincial series. Both games against Ulster and Leinster had a blunt and repetitive attacking shape in the opposition 22, meaning Munster were turned over or failed to cross the opposition try line far more times than they had success.
It isn’t all doom and gloom. Beating Ulster away from home is a monumental achievement for any Munster side. Considering the momentum that Munster are trying to build at the moment, and the pressure to win a tier-one game, it was all smiles in the coaches box when Ben Healy made the crucial breakthrough and subsequent conversion to steal the match points at the death.
Ulster, however, are on their own journey of existential crisis lately. They had a rock-solid defence for most of the 80 minutes. A brief naivety on the short side of a ruck allowed Paddy Patterson to sneak in for a try, created by excellent breakdown work from Shane Daly to ensure that Jacob Stockdale couldn’t recover in time to catch the speedy scrum-half.
"When you compare to last year, Ulster were the province that had their systems in place and should have been taking steps closer to catching Leinster"
The other lapse in the Ulster defence was allowing Jack Crowley to wriggle and step his way around numerous defenders to give Munster the pitch position and pressure for Ben Healy to finish off the attack.
Ulster didn’t have too many decisions to make in their defence. Munster were progressively predictable as they worked their way closer to the Ulster tryline. When Gavin Coombes and company couldn’t wrestle and bulldoze their way past Ulster, it looked like Munster were out of ideas.
I’m very aware that when you’re building a new game, especially with squad rotations enforced on the Irish provinces in crucial, must-win interprovincial derbies, things won’t be perfect. However, Graham Rowntree and Mike Prendergast would surely like to see more of their hard work come to fruition.
Ulster on the other hand did very little to win the game which will frustrate the home supporters. When you compare to last year, Ulster were the province that had their systems in place and should have been taking steps closer to catching Leinster. Instead they have fallen back into mediocrity with very little spark or dynamism in their game at present.
Munster nullified the Ulster maul threat by either stopping the possession at source and turning over the lineout through Jean Kleyn and Jack O’Donoghue, or they hit the maul on the deck and made Ulster use possession away from where they are strong. Tom Stewart has been used to breaking away from the maul with forward momentum and scoring tries, but not this time.
It wasn’t to be in the Kingspan on Sunday evening and when you take the attacking maul threat away from Ulster, they’re beginning to look very average.
A backline that last year boasted the in-form James Hume, the rampaging but internationally misfortunate Stuart McCloskey, the excitement of Mike Lowry and Robert Balacoune, the class of Stewart Moore. Their game plan and effectiveness is becoming overly average and these players are losing form as the games go on. How can a team with arguably the most exciting backline go so far backwards?
While there are worries about both teams and their status coming into 2023, Munster have turned the corner. Winning away from home in the dying moments of a game that looked to be out of reach is a huge boost for the province.
The learned ability to win, and to win when you don’t seem to have the answers is a crucial bit of DNA in any team that goes on to become successful. The performance won’t excite anyone too greatly, but learning to win in adversity is the best thing to come from the result.
Ulster, have unfortunately been learning how to throw away a lead. When you think of their implosion against Leinster, the missed kick to save their blushes against Connacht and now losing to Munster in the dying seconds at home, psychological frailties will be entering their dressing room.
There aren’t many easier games left in this league for Ulster to find their form. Travelling away from home can sometimes bond a group tighter together, the timing could work in Ulster’s favour but Benetton are trickier than ever.
With six wins in the league already this season, Benetton’s home record is going to give Ulster a challenge to get the rhythm back into their game before facing back into European rugby, on the road to La Rochelle.
Munster on the other hand will try to consolidate their improving form by aiming to expand their attack on the fast track of Musgrave Park in Cork. They will face the challenge of the Lions from South Africa before defending their Limerick-based, former fortress against Northampton.
Ulster versus Munster was a battle of two teams trying to find their identity and ignite their season. If it weren’t for a last-minute effort from Ben Healy the whole discussion could have a different light altogether. However, that was a sucker punch for Ulster to take after a tough few weeks.
Munster will have no sympathy in using them as a springboard, as they hope to kick on in 2023.
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