MUNSTER 38-17 GLASGOW
Even legends die. Munster lives on and Munster fights on.
So what now? Munster have given us a glimpse of the pulsing heart that has, for so long, gained acclaim the world over.
A proud, stunned province gathered in grief today to pay tribute to deceased head coach Anthony Foley in the best possible way – the Munster way. Glasgow Warriors came to Limerick, paid their respects and left with sore bodies and ringing ears.
Munster played for over an hour with 14 men but they were never losing this game.
Munster tore into Glasgow from the first whistle and bristled with the menacing intent of old. The Scots knew they would be subjected to a fierce opening stanza but simply could not cope.
Keith Earls’ blistering break and offload set up Tyler Bleyendaal for a stunning try and, 66 seconds in, Munster had signalled their intent. They were not here to fulfil a fixture. They were here to win a bloody game of rugby.
Bleyendaal, who kicked sweetly all day, added the conversion and was soon stepping up to do the same after Jaco Taute got over for his first Munster try after being teed up by Rory Scannell. The South African has been here for all of a month and already knows what Munster is all about. He thumped the Munster badge and roared to the heavens above.
14-3 and Munster’s task was suddenly made awesomely difficult. Keith Earls, perhaps a touch too fired up, laid in a bit hit on Fraser Brown but was guilty of driving him towards the turf at a dangerous angle. As much as it pained referee Jerome Garces and just about everyone in the ground, Earls was shown a red card.
For the next 60 minutes, Munster would play with 14 men. That was never truly the case though. They were playing with the spirit of Foley driving them on and an urging, desperate crowd doing likewise.
Penalties and scrum shunts were cheered as loudly as scores but the Munster faithful soon had another one of those to celebrate. The excellent Scannell made a clean break up the left, stepped another Scot and timed a beautiful pass to Simon Zebo. The fullback did remarkably well to keep his feet out of touch and dot down under immense pressure.
A third video review but the same result each time – try followed by Bleyendaal conversion. 24-3 at the break and we finally caught our breath.
‘Grind them’
Munster were bloody-minded in the opening stages of the second half. This was all about trying to mentally snap the Scots.
The battles were fought up close – scrums, mauls, rucks. Conor Murray and then CJ Stander went close. More picking a driving. Phase, phase, phase.
Three scrums in a row – penalty, penalty, penalty try.
Too much heart, grit and drive. Bleyendaal converted and the bonus point was secured after 47 minutes.
Still, it was important to continue the fight.
“Let’s grind them again Munster,” came a voice from the crowd.
And so they did. Murray snapped and snarled at Henry Pyrgos. Zebo drove Sean Lamont out of touch. Dave Kilcoyne barked orders and Taute forced a turnover.
Going into the final quarter, with weary legs starting to leave gaps, Rory Hughes almost got over in the corner but Bleyendaal and Zebo were not having it. Not today. Not if they could help it.
Still, the Scots are no mugs and they flooded forward in the closing stages, rewarded by two late tries despite the immense efforts of Darren Sweetnam and Donnacha Ryan.
Rather than end the game on the back foot, Munster rallied and were rewarded with a superb Rory Scannell try after mauling Warriors to their shaken core. Ian Keatley nailed his touchline conversion. Of course he did.
Munster pride lived, and thrived, on truly memorable day at Thomond Park.
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