Stand Up And Fight Like Hell.
The Munster anthem was studded on the souls of every single player in a red jersey that rampaged around the Thomond Park pitch at the weekend. Anthony Foley’s memory was honoured with a fierce, unrelenting performance that delivered a 38-17 victory.
There were also wins for Connacht, who swatted Zebre aside, and an Ulster side that were brought to the brink by Exeter Chiefs. Leinster fell short in Montpellier but left with a losing bonus point.
Here is the best XV from the four Irish provinces.
15. Simon Zebo (Munster)
Cian Kelleher had a sensational afternoon in Italy, for Connacht, but Zebo takes the 15 jersey after one of his best performances in the past three years. His defensive effort was immense, he made some hard carries and was pure determination in crashing over for his try.
The sheer determination of Simon Zebo to get that ball over the line for a try. Brilliant stuff Munster #MUNvGLA
— Katie (@katiekins76) October 22, 2016
14. Charles Piutau (Ulster)
We have shifted the devastating Kiwi to the right wing. He would flourish anywhere you put him in the back three [or any part of the pitch]. 126 metres gained off 12 carries that featured three line breaks, nine defenders beaten and three offloads. Teed up Sean Reidy’s try with one such break.
13. Jaco Taute (Munster)
Welcome to Munster. Crest slapping, hard-carrying, hollering performance of sheer intensity. Got a great try and made every single collision count.
12. Rory Scannell (Munster)
Any worries we had after a subdued outing against Leinster were put to rest. Had a game for the ages as he made important tackles in defence, set ip Zebo for his try after a great break and scored one for himself after a strong Munster maul.
11. Stacey Ili (Connacht)
Stacey Ili scored a hat-trick for @ConnachtRugby in Italy, does one of his three tries get your vote for #TryOfTheRound? Push RT if it does! pic.twitter.com/bdHJzaJRlS
— Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) October 24, 2016
Connacht have found themselves another gem from New Zealand. Granted, he was up against Zebre but few teams in Europe would have contained him on Sunday. His hat-trick of tries was only a glimpse of a super, all-round display.
10. Tyler Bleyendaal (Munster)
About as perfect a No.10 display as you can get. Backed himself to score an early try, goal-kicked like a dream, put some aerial bombs for his runners and landed every tackle he attempted, including pitching in for a 69th minute try-saver. There is hope.
9. Ruan Pienaar (Ulster)
Another excellent, probing Pienaar display. Was a tough night at Kingspan Stadium but Pienaar kept Exeter on the back foot as often as humanly possible.
If I was @ExeterChiefs I would while in Ulster lock Ruan Pienaar in a room and tell him about the virtues of living in Devon. He is class.
— Andy Wells (@andywells3) October 23, 2016
1. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster)
Sheer aggression and commitment for as long as he could fling his body around the park. Was part of a pack that monstered Glasgow and set the tone. Made 10 purposeful carries and let it be known that he was there to f*** s*** up.
2. Niall Scannell (Munster)
His best game in a Munster jersey. Get himself into the contest with some big, early carries and clear-outs. Second only to CJ Stander in terms of carries and his lineout throwing was on point. Came back on after Duncan Casey injured himself.
3. John Ryan (Munster)
This level of performance is what could be a game-changer for Munster if Archer can keep it up, and stay fit. The Munster scrum obliterated Glasgow’s and Archer was a huge reason for it. Did some good work at the breakdown and got massive applause as he left the pitch for Stephen Archer.
4. Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
Much like second row partner Billy Holland, Ryan revelled in the highly charged atmosphere at Thomond Park. Made himself known to the Scots with some gigantic hits in the opening stages and took all but one possession into contact. Was still there with 10 minutes to go, laying people out.
5. Franco van der Merwe (Ulster)
Goes about his business with very little fuss but maximum effect. Ulster’s line-out and scrums were solid and their mauling gained some crucial metres. Made a number of strong carries too. A real pack leader.
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
O’Mahony is back and he is very, very close to his best. Claimed a couple of vital lineouts and made it his business to clean-out rucks and prove an immovable object when Glasgow sought breakdown ball. No great stats for carries and tackles but his leadership shone from the very first second of the game.
Peter O'Mahony is one of those players you just want on your side. Leader of men.
— Colm Crowley (@mrcolmcrowley) October 22, 2016
7. Tommy O’Donnell (Munster)
Joint top tackler for his side and an 80-minute performance of lung-busting commitment and attacking intent. Showed up all afternoon as a support runner and that first man on the scene when a teammate was tackled. In good form ahead of Ireland’s November Tests.
8/24. CJ Stander (Munster)
Axel would have been proud of Stander’s all-action performance. Made the most carries, tackled the most men, constantly got his team over the gainline and battered away from start to finish. Epic.
Agree or disagree? Let us know what you think of our selections on Twitter and Facebook.
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