Throwback game throws up a cracker as battling Munster go down to All Blacks XV

This fixture is something of a throwback in time and it felt like one too. The biggest Thomond Park capacity in six years, no television coverage and a makeshift Munster inspired by the occasion to punch above their weight against classy opposition. It’s a dog-eared script but worth revisiting occasionally.
No sport should be a hostage to tradition but at the same time any fixture that evokes the best of the amateur era is worth keeping, especially if the two teams serve up such a fluctuating and enjoyable treat like this and there’s such a buy-in from the Munster public. And it was only the ninth time in 120 years. That’s hardly flogging it.
Ian Costello, interim head coach in the wake of Graham Rowntree’s sudden departure, had no doubt about this game’s value.
“I was expecting it to be a big occasion and I’ve still got hairs standing up on the back of my neck. I’ve been here a lot of times when it’s been full in the last 15 years, and I think nights like tonight have to stay in the game.
“We got second-hand information; it’s because we were so competitive against a South African XV last year that they wanted to play this fixture. We think we’ve still got a very strong brand, well known around the world, and the history of the fixture made it special tonight.
“And then you throw in a full Thomond going crazy. Yeah, I hope they never go out of the game.”
His All Blacks counterpart, Clayton McMillan, was understandably content after his relatively young but talented amalgam of sometime Test players and Super Rugby gems withstood a ferocious Munster effort before moving on to Montpellier for a meeting with Georgia.
Munster were true to their avowed intention to play the occasion and play with freedom, three of their four tries coming after turning down very kickable penalties.
Ultimately the All Blacks XV had more ballast in the collisions, more pace and footwork, with Quinn Tupaea a constant menace. They never trailed but could never breath easily either until two breakaway tries in the last five minutes by two more gamebreakers, winger Kini Naholo and outhalf Harry Plummer, which distorted the scoreline unfairly but also demonstrated their greater ability to score from distance.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” said McMillan. “We had heard about the passion of the Limerick people and the Munster supporters, and we got that in spades, I thought. Coming in we saw the energy of the crowd.
“They come in early, they sing, and they are right behind every play. The silence when the goal kickers are on: there are some things that we just don’t see back in New Zealand. It was a hell of an experience and the game contributed massively towards that.”
Indeed, McMillan believes there should be more, not less, of these fixtures, and to the cynics out there who believe they are an anachronism, had a simple message.
“Watch the game tonight and maybe rethink that. Munster had a few of the old dogs like John Ryan there but they had a few youngsters out there as well. They have had a bit of a tough run of injuries and that has opened the door for some of the younger academy guys to come in and get some experience. I’m sure for them it was memorable.
“They will learn and grow so Munster will benefit from that and equally our guys. The game is just different here. Every collision and breakdown and set-piece is a contest. The aerial battle is a contest. Our players need to feel that and learn from it so we can become more rounded and better rugby players. Ultimately we will get a better product for the next level.”
Maybe you had to be there. Well, actually, save for those homes and public outlets that subscribed to the ‘access Munster’ live streaming, you did have to be there. In this, perhaps, Munster missed a trick, for the combined appeal of their red jerseys against the men in black deserved a bigger audience.
Although injury afflicted and in need of the forthcoming respite, this fixture worked on several levels for Munster. Peter O’Mahony put himself about for 40 minutes, as preordained, while the immense John Hodnett, Fineen Wycherley and Gavin Coombes carried on the good fight for the full 80.
Diarmuid Kilgallen had a very encouraging debut while on the other wing Shay McCarthy brought another edge to his game, with five other academy players contributing in more than just token cameos.
The props Kieran Ryan and Ronan Foxe helped win a couple of scrum penalties and Evan O’Connell, son of Justin and nephew of Paul, won a penalty in the jackal with his first action in Munster red. A debut he’ll never forget should only serve to whet his appetite.
“I think sometimes we underestimate how much pressure is on young players,” ventured Costello. “He captained the Ireland 20s side and he was on the bench for the Ulster game last season and didn’t come on.
“So, he looks around and he sees all his academy team-mates getting debuts; Ruadhán Quinn is in double figures now, Brian Gleeson has played Heineken Cup. These are the guys he’s playing with at national level and he’s just been unfortunate.
“I think there’s a little bit of a monkey off the back now and I’m just delighted for him. You could see his celebration when he got the jackal, how much it meant to him. I spoke to him and his family, who were in the dressingroom afterwards, and he should have a class future ahead of him.”
SCORING SEQUENCE – 23 mins: Lam try, Plummer con, 0-7; 29: Fihaki try, Plummer con, 0-14; 35: Haley try, 5-14; 40+1: Penalty try, 12-14; (half-time 12-14); 45: McAlister try, Plummer con, 12-21; 50: Hodnett try, 17-21; 58: Tupaea try, 17-26; 61: Farrell try, Butler con, 24-26; 76: Naholo try, Plummer con, 24-33; 80+6: Plummer try 24-38.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley: Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; John Ryan, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern; Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Ruadhán Quinn for O’Mahony (h-t); Kieran Ryan for J Ryan, Tony Butler for Burns (both 52 mins); Niall Scannell for Barron, Paddy Patterson for Coughlan (both 55); Evan O’Connell for Ahern (62); Ronan Foxe for Archer, Ben O’Connor for McCarthy (both 71).
ALL BLACKS XV: Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs/North Harbour); Chay Fihaki (Crusaders/Canterbury), AJ Lam (Blues/Auckland), Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs/Waikato), Kini Naholo (Hurricanes/Taranaki); Harry Plummer (Blues/Auckland), Finlay Christie (Blues/Tasman); George Bower (Crusaders/Otago), Brodie McAlister (Crusaders/Canterbury), George Dyer (Chiefs/Waikato); Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay), Fabian Holland (Highlanders/Otago); Oliver Haig (Highlanders/Otago), Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes/Wellington, capt), Devan Flanders (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay).
Replacements: Ruben Love (Hurricanes/Wellington) for Fihaki (47 mins); Xavier Numia (Hurricanes/Wellington) for Bower, Marcel Renata (Blues/Auckland) for Dyer (both 51); Bradley Slater (Chiefs/Taranaki) for McAlister (58); Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty) for Holland, Noah Hotham (Crusaders/Tasman) for Christie (both 66); Josh Jacomb (Chiefs/Taranaki) for Stevenson (72). Not used: Corey Kellow (Crusaders/Canterbury).
Sinbinned: Walker-Leawere (40+1-50 mins).
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Japan).