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Munster player ratings: Out gunned and out manned, Munster were overwhelmed by a ferocious Leinster defensive performance in a 28 – 7 loss at Thomond Park this evening.
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Struggling to penetrate the blue wall despite ample possession, Munster’s only score came courtesy of a thundering run from Thomas Ahern who utilised every centimetre of his 6’9″ frame to dot down. This moment of joy was short lived when the bullies from up the road recaptured their composure and put them in a headlock for rest of the fixture.
Leinster on the flip-side continued their metamorphoses from the cool city slickers with all of the fancy plays to down and dirty beasts from the east. Sucker punching their hosts for relatively simple but brutall effective scores, the men in blue struck through Luke McGrath, Sam Prendergast, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris.
Marching into 2025 on the back of eleven straight victories, Leinster feel destined for a date with destiny in the URC and Champions Cup finals. Munster on the other hand feel rather listless and short on bodies ahead of a must win match against Saracens in two weeks time.
Here is how the Munster players fared on a gloomy evening in Limerick.
1. Dian Bleuler – 4
Endured a torrid time at scrum time and was found wanting as Josh van der Flier pounced for Leinster’s third try. Away from the set-piece horror show, the burly South African topped the Munster tackle charts with 14 including two thumping dominant efforts.
2. Niall Scannell – 6
Struggled to find his marks at line-out time and was caught in the middle of a scrum that was back pedalling. Despite this he continued to do the hard yards as his side’s top carrier and won a timely turnover.
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3. Oli Jager – 3
Battered at scrum time by Jack Boyle and exposed at the breakdown for Leinster’s opening try in the opening exchanges. These issues only became more evident when Andrew Porter trotted on in the 20th minute. Lasting 54 minutes, this will go down as a learning experience for the former Super Rugby champion.
4. Fineen Wycherley – 3
Outmuscled by his opposite locks, the Bantry man had a challenging first half which led to an early exit for John Hodnett.
5. Tadhg Beirne – 6
Continuing Irish Rugby’s biggest issue with a haywire line-out, the Munster skipper was visibly frustrated this evening. In open play, he was exceptional stepping in as first receiver with some nice touches to release those around him.
6. Thomas Ahern – 6
Pounced for a superb try to get Munster off to the perfect start in the first half, the 6’9″ rampaging blindside had a real ding-dong battle with his opposite number Ryan Baird.
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7. Alex Kendellen – 5
Ultra energetic and willing to take on the fight, he was undone by his tight five’s inability to get any semblance of parity. Despite this, he put in a strong shift with 7 carries, 13 tackles and a line-out grab.
8. Gavin Coombes – 7
Yet another tireless effort from Munster’s go-forward machine who got stuck into everything. Coming up just meters short of an early try courtesy of a superb Jamie Osborne cover tackle, he showed quick thinking to release an offload only to see Tom Farrell knock on.
9. Ethan Coughlan – 7
Facilitated play well in the face of an absolute firestorm at the breakdown. Drawing attention to the Leinster players lying on the wrong side of the ruck, he earned Munster a few penalties. Outside of being caught behind his own line from a less than sympathetic slap down, he relieved pressure on his side with pinpoint contestable box kicks.
10. Billy Burns – 4
Given very few opportunities behind a pack that was getting battered at set-piece time. On the positive side of things, he found some space with kicks over the Leinster rush defence and in the wider channels. Unfortunately these moments were far and few between. Away from these moments, he struggled to challenge the defensive line and more often than not put those around him in a spot of bother.
11. Shane Daly – 5
Chased everything intensely to hand Munster the only area of advantage they had in the contest. Had it not been for a few last grasp Leinster tackles he could’ve wriggled free on a few occasions. Alas, it was a case of could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.
12. Rory Scannell – 4
Industrious in his approach but blunt in his execution, Scannell has been a great servant to Munster Rugby but on these occasions he struggled to handle Leinster’s intensity.
13. Tom Farrell – 5
Suffocated by his opposite number, this was his most challenging outing in a red shirt to date. Operating with a distinct lack of time, he was forced into uncharacteristic mistakes. This being said he remained the most likely Munster back to create something with a few nice offloads and strong carries.
14. Calvin Nash – 5
Started brightly by marshalling the Leinster wide attack back in-field or into touch, mirroring his wing partner he was strong in the air but never really got free.
15. Mike Haley – 6
Brave and impactful from the back, Haley covered the backfield well before returning with interest. Unfortunately he was a victim of Munster’s inability to get over the gain-line. Closed his account in the 73rd minute with over a hundred meters made is a fair reflection of his busy outing.
Substitutes
16. Eoghan Clarke – 3
Struggled mightily with his line-out throwing in relief of Scannell, overall it was a night to forget for the former Jersey Red.
17. Kieran Ryan – 5
Did well to stop Cian Healy from claiming a fifth try for Leinster, apart from this it was an uneventful seven minute cameo.
18. John Ryan – 5
Solidified things somewhat at scrum time but not enough to get his team into the contest. In open play, he fronted up defensively and carried hard into the face of the Leinster whirlwind defence.
19. Brian Gleeson – 7
Immensely impactful making a whopping 9 nine tackles in his short spell on the park. One of the few Munster players who came away with their reputation enhanced.
20. John Hodnett – 7
Came off the bench at the start of the second half and brought an immediate punch to the Munster attack.
21. Paddy Patterson – 3
Poor service that put his side under immense pressure, overall he was a significant step down from Coughlan.
22. Tony Butler – 4
Took over from Burns in the 65th minute, unfortunately for him this coincided with fatigue kicking in for the Munster pack.
23. Ben O’Connor – N/A
Not enough time to rate.
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