Munster rebound lifts Rowntree for 'once in a lifetime' Croke Park trip

Just as importantly, this bonus-point nilling of a strong Ospreys team in terrible weather conditions at Virgin Media Park has given Graham Rowntree’s squad the statement performance it desperately needed and some much-needed momentum heading into three compelling and potentially season-defining weeks on the road, starting this Saturday against Leinster at Croke Park.

After a less than convincing defensive performance in overcoming Connacht in round one at Thomond Park, the wheels came off altogether with an embarrassing 42-33 defeat at Zebre Parma. So to respond with a much-improved effort and blank an experienced Ospreys outfit in the teeth of a biting storm in Cork last Saturday night was just what was required heading into successive away games in Dublin, and then at the Stormers in Cape Town and the Sharks in Durban on October 19 and 26 respectively.

The blockbuster interprovincial derby, set to play out in front of more than 70,000 supporters at GAA HQ this Saturday, will deservedly grab the attention this week, dominate rugby chatter and stoke the passions on both sides of the red and blue divide.

Rowntree admitted that excitement was shared inside the Munster dressing room, while also acknowledged playing at Croke Park was potentially a once in a career opportunity for his players.

"I think it has to. It has to. Not many of them will have played there, that's for sure. We're going to see the place on Friday on our way to our hotel, we won't train there - I don't think we're allowed to train there,” Rowntree said with a chuckle.

"We'll train in Limerick and then we'll travel down but we'll go and see it, let guys get accustomed to it, particularly the kickers.

"But that's what you do, pro rugby players. You play in front of 80,000, 82,000? Will we get that? 70,000-plus sold, that's what you want to do against Leinster, in an interpro. Wow. There’s not many times you do that.”

Since joining Munster as Johann van Graan’s forwards coach in 2019 and then succeeding the South African as head coach, Rowntree has experienced 13 of these derbies, enjoying victory only twice, a Rainbow Cup encounter at the RDS during the Covid pandemic and more significantly, when he guided his side to a URC play-off semi-final victory at Aviva Stadium on route to the title in his maiden season as the boss.

“We’ve already started looking at Leinster. I mean, look at their starting team today (at Benetton), that they put out. We know how strong they are.

"There's a special history between the two provinces that I didn't really fully understand until I came to Ireland."

Of his side's bounceback performance against Ospreys, he added: "It's the reaction I was expecting. To nil them was big. To get a bonus point and to nil them was big. It's a big statement, but now we drive forward to a huge game next week."

The review on Monday will be a lot more comfortable than the previous week’s post-mortem, despite medical updates expected on four key players who made premature exits from the contest in Cork.

Tighthead prop Oli Jager, flanker Peter O’Mahony, full-back Mike Haley and wing Calvin Nash were all withdrawn and Rowntree faces an anxious wait on their status. 

Otherwise, the head coach was entitled to his satisfaction after a well-controlled, disciplined and clinical dismantling of an Ospreys team which would have fancied its chances given the evidence of Munster’s opening two games of the campaign.

An opening try after just 11 seconds from academy wing Shay McCarthy set the tone, with Jack Crowley adding a penalty goal before Tom Farrell claimed his first try since a summer move from Munster and Nash grabbed his first of the season to open an 18-0 half-time lead.

Munster’s much-maligned defence redeemed itself after shipping 11 tries in the first two rounds by holding out a sustained period of Ospreys pressure after the break. Then they took their only clearcut chance of the second half with clinical efficiency as a clever exchange of passes between McCarthy and Jack O’Donoghue put the No.8 in for the bonus-point try. 

Munster then repelled the Welsh region’s last-quarter bid to avoid the whitewash. Redemption secured. 

MUNSTER: M Haley (T Butler, 70); C Nash (J Daly, 72), T Farrell, B Fitzgerald, S McCarthy; J Crowley, C Casey (C Murray, 56); J Loughman (J Ryan, 63), N Scannell (D Barron, 56), O Jager (S Archer, 13); J Kleyn (F Wycherley, 63), T Beirne - captain; P O’Mahony (G Coombes, 22), J Hodnett (J Loughman 79 – yc replacement), J O’Donoghue.

Yellow card: Archer 76 

OSPREYS: M Nagy; I Hopkins, O Watkin (K Williams, 66), P Cokanasiga, R Conbeer; D Edwards, R Morgan-Williams (L Davies, 65); S Thomas (S Parry, 57), D Lake (G Phillips, 57), B Warren (M Iowerth-Scott, 66); H Sutton, A Beard (L Jones, 66); J Ratti, J Morgan – captain, M Morris (H Deaves, 57).

Replacement not used: J Walsh 

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)