Munster defy Stormers, critics and bookies to hoist URC title
Munster won their first major trophy for 12 years by landing the United Rugby Championship title following an absorbing 19-14 victory over the Stormers in Cape Town.
Flanker John Hodnett’s try five minutes from time – converted from the touchline by fly-half Jack Crowley – denied the Stormers back-to-back URC crowns.
It was Munster’s fifth successive away game in the competition as they turned around their fortunes following final defeats in 2015, 2017 and 2021.
Flanker Deon Fourie’s try early in the second half, converted by Manie Libbok, looked to have swayed an intense and ferociously-committed encounter Stormers’ way before Hodnett pounced.
Fly-half Libbok scored a interception try he also converted but Munster led by five points at the break following touchdowns from hooker Diarmuid Barron and wing Calvin Nash while Jack Crowley added one conversion.
Both sides had their chances in a game where there was so little between the teams, yet ultimately Munster had enough in the tank to deliver silverware for their 2,000 travelling fans and confirm the impact head coach Graham Rowntree has made.
South Africa internationals Fourie and Marvin Orie returned to the Stormers line-up after recovering from injury for a 55,000 sell-out encounter at DHL Stadium.
Rowntree, meanwhile, made three changes from the side that defeated semi-final opponents Leinster, with Nash, centre Malakai Fekitoa and scrum-half Conor Murray all returning after completing return-to-play protocols following the quarter-finals.
Stormers struck an opening blow after just six minutes and Munster only had themselves to blame.
Early momentum was undone when centre Antoine Frisch’s wildly-speculative pass from just inside his own half went to straight to Libbok, who sprinted clear to claim a try he also converted.
But Munster regrouped impressively and they breached Stormers’ defence just four minutes later when their forwards drove a close-range lineout and Barron burrowed over for the try.
The Munster forwards were relishing the battle and they almost added a second try after Stormers number eight Evan Roos was yellow-carded for deliberate offside but number eight Gavin Coombes’ effort was disallowed.
Stormers could not get their free-flowing game going, being outsmarted by Murray’s clever and accurate box-kicking as they found themselves penned inside their own half.
Munster’s finishing was the only area where they let themselves down, with a second try being ruled out after captain Peter O’Mahony delivered a forward pass to full-back Mike Haley.
The Irish side made it third time lucky, though, midway through the second quarter after Crowley’s superb cross-kick was gathered by Nash, who finished impressively and Crowley converted for a five-point lead.
But Munster lost O’Mahony just before the interval when he went off for a head injury assessment and was replaced by RG Snyman.
Libbok missed a chance to reduce the deficit when he drifted a penalty wide just two minutes into the second half before Munster saw Haley sin-binned following a late challenge on Stormers wing Angelo Davids.
The Stormers immediately made their temporary one-man advantage count, with Munster powerless to halt a lineout drive that ended through Fourie touching down and Libbok converting.
It was a far more cohesive Stormers display in the second period, despite stamina-sapping conditions, and they retained a two-point advantage entering the final 15 minutes.
But Hodnett and Crowley then struck and Munster had achieved mission improbable despite a late yellow card for Crowley.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments