Andrew Conway got the headlines for “crucifying” Toulon at Thomond Park but there was a great appreciation from the French media for Munster’s unheralded backline.
Toulon fans may not have taken their full away day allocation of seats, but the travelling hordes of French press certainly filled their fair share of seats.
Many of those travelling had talked up the Munster pack – containing the likes of CJ Stander, Jean Kleyn and Peter O’Mahony – in the lead-up to the match and their was ample coverage for Conor Murray but few gave much credit to their backline.
Chris Farrell, Keith Earls, Jaco Taute and Tyler Bleyendaal all missed out on the Champions Cup quarter final while Simon Zebo, Rory Scannell and Conway came into the contest far from their fittest. Toulon, their followers and the French press would not be mistaken for thinking Munster could be targeted out wide.
In the opening 20 minutes, as Munster clung on, the likes of Conway, Sam Arnold and Rory Scannell were all required to make big tackles. It was gutsy, as Peter O’Mahony later said, but it looked as though the tide could only be stemmed for so long.
By the end of a thrilling encounter, that Munster backline had stood up to the giant likes of Ma’a Nonu, Mathieu Bastareaud, Semi Radrada and Joshua Tuivosa and won the day. 55 tackles landed in defence, three try-saving tackles and four turnovers won for their team. Conway, Murray and Keatley had contributed all 20 points too.
The Munster pack were as fierce as expected but Johann van Graan’s men only got over the line because their backline – shorn of an injured Simon Zebo after 25 minutes – backed them up.
Andy McGeady, host of The Hard Yards, was watching the game in France and, on the latest episode, noted the reaction from France’s rugby press. All the talk, said McGeady, was of how Munster’s lesser known backline players had fronted up just when they were required.
While Conway and Murray’s scores were pored over, there was effusive praise for Scannell and Arnold – Munster’s tenacious centres.
McGeady said:
“The French media are very complimentary of the way Munster played, and especially their backs. They foresaw that a Munster pack, playing in Thomond against any team, will front up.
“But what they may not have expected was the performances by the lesser lights in that Munster backline.”
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Midi Olympique declared: ‘The Munster three quarter line – Wootton, Scannell, Arnold & Conway – largely new-look [in Europe] has surprised the world, and Toulon.’
The performances of both men, against Nonu, Bastareaud and, later, Malakai Fekitoa, was always going to be crucial. It was something van Graan spoke of after his side’s win in Limerick.
“From when I announced the team, I called Sam and Rory in and I said to them both, ‘It’s not about who you’re playing against, it’s about you’.
“It’s interesting how life works out, from the first game I was involved in against Zebre, Sam and Rory were the centres and against Leicester in December and I said, ‘Life works out the way it should and you two in the 12 and 13 Munster jerseys, I don’t want anything special, just do what you normally do’, and I thought they were incredible.”
Up next is the trip to South Africa and the Munster coach will be hoping to go easy enough on the players that did the jersey proud before asking them to go to the well against Racing in the final four.
