Celtic League final: Match statisticsWinning is everything, the rest is just gossip, all the more so after three successive defeats in major finals. Munster have played more fluidly and potently, perhaps, on other days, but this was about getting some booty. Some silverware. The Celtic League trophy. And so they played winning rugby.
Neath had plenty of ball and asked plenty of questions, but for the most part Munster kept their shape as the Welsh side ran far too laterally, and a recurring theme was the dangerman, Shane Williams, being tackled into touch.
Munster, initially, played for territory and from the off made each visit count, before opening up to push for victory in the third quarter.
Granted, they threw Neath an early curve ball when Jason Holland's skip pass sent Jeremy Staunton haring off outside the blacks' four-up defence off a stolen Neath line-out. It also earned the field position from which Munster opened the scoring and as an aside, cleverly launched Staunton into the game. His confidence back, the spark has returned. But overall, this was a clinical performance, and you always felt Munster had more in their locker.
In that regard, rarely can one player have left the scene so early and yet have been so influential in laying the platform for a win, than Ronan O'Gara here. Assured in everything he was doing, that Munster profited from every sortie into Neath territory was largely down to his four penalties from four attempts. None were easy, two were awkwardly angled, and one was a thundering kick from almost half-way.
The orchestrator in chief was clearly targeted at that juncture by Neath, who launched James Storey at him soon after. This left O'Gara at the wrong side of the ruck and at the mercy of Andy Newman and Brett Sinkinson especially, the born-again Kiwi/Welshman cynically stamping on O'Gara's ankle.
Granted there would have been plenty of nervous glances amongst the Munster supporters at the sight of O'Gara leaving the pitch and there was still plenty of work to be done. Initially too, Holland looked uncomfortable, his kicking particularly lacking O'Gara's depth, while the ball travelled a bit slower through him as well. But he gradually settled and, besides, the presence of Rob Henderson ensured a stronger target runner and more bulk in defence.
In any event, after O'Gara's opening barrage of penalties, Neath's hearts and minds must have sunk further shortly after the first quarter when Adam Matthews addressed his first throw as a replacement for Barry Williams, who sustained a broken jaw.
It didn't help the young hooker - he turned 23 on Friday - that Gareth Llewellyn called for a throw to the tail. Munster forwards admitted they could see his arm shaking (and long before the end had even begun to feel sorry for him) as he nervously lobbed the ball well short of his target.
Neath, it's true, did their best to target the Munster throw but it survived pretty well - only losing two throws - whereas a couple of crooked darts by Williams compounded the half dozen stolen by Mick O'Driscoll and co.
Neath's confidence in their own line-out eroded, forcing them to settle for some basic, front-of-the-line ball, whereas Munster retained a more attacking platform. Well though Neath defended the Munster maul, a reprise of the move which yielded the crunch fourth try against Gloucester with backs and forwards combining off a midfield target under the Neath posts earned a post-interval try for Marcus Horan.
For variation, the foundation for the decisive third try four minutes later was quick, off-the-top ball which Peter Stringer transferred to Henderson on the hoof. Reviving memories of his try for the Lions in the first Test, Henderson stepped inside Adam Matthews and Andy Moore in turn before taking Shane Williams on the outside for a stunning try in the corner. Game, set and match, with a quarter to go.
The real sickener for Neath had come moments after a Lee Jarvis drop goal had deservedly taken them back to 12-6 after 33 minutes. Jarvis went for an unnecessarily risky grubber - all the more so with Adrian Durston in the line - going right off the scrum. The ball ricocheted off Holland and Dave Tiueti into the hands of Alan Quinlan who impressivly galloped in from 45 metres out. It was the high point of an inspired, big game performance by Quinlan.
As with most of Munster's big days, Quinlan's back-row colleagues, Jim Williams and Anthony Foley, were equally immense. This triumvirate bossed the game. They seemed to be everywhere, in defence and attack, and hardly put a foot wrong between them.
In truth, Munster might have pulled clear even sooner. Off another pilfered Neath line-out, Foley and Donnacha O'Callaghan were launched at the Neath line. Chris White's failure to apply the advantage law rewarded Neath's killing of ruck ball and Munster had to settle for a Staunton penalty.
With a comforting 22-9 lead at the break Munster resolved to press home their lead. Alan Gaffney, who has something of a Midas touch with this competition given this was his 19th win in 20 ties, revealed later: "We talked about things at half-time and made a pact that we weren't going to try and protect our lead; that we were going to attack the game." They were true to their word. To Neath's credit they tried to play a bright, expansive continuity game and worked up a good head of steam in the second quarter especially. Adrian Durston penetrated the red line with ominous intent early on, and the abrasive Storey continually asked questions of the Munster midfield.
However, unable to sustain attacks over multiple phases through their own errors or turnovers in contact, they didn't have the ability from one to 15 to really make it count. Nor, could they match Munster's intensity over the 80, ultimately buckling in the third quarter before gamily hanging in to engineer a late score.
It mattered not a whit. The trophy was already bound for Shannon airport and a long overdue party.
SCORING SEQUENCE
3 mins: O'Gara pen 0-3
9 mins: O'Gara pen 0-6
13 mins: Jarvis pen 3-6
17 mins: O'Gara pen 3-9
20 mins: O'Gara pen 3-12
33 mins: Jarvis drop goal 6-12
35 mins: Quinlan try, Staunton con 6-19
37 mins: Jarvis pen 9-19
40 mins: Staunton pen 9-22
Half time: 9-22
45 mins: Jarvis pen 12-22
53 mins: Horan try, Staunton con 12-29
57 mins: Henderson try 12-34
80 mins: Staunton pen 12-37
85 mins: A Jones try 17-37.
MUNSTER: J Staunton; J Kelly, M Mullins, J Holland, M Lawlor; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, J Williams, A Foley, A Quinlan. Replacements: R Henderson for O'Gara (26 mins), M Galwey for O'Callaghan (77 mins), J Blaney for Sheahan, M Cahill for Horan, D Leamy for Quinlan (all 79 mins).
NEATH: A Durston; G Morris, J Storey, D Tiueti, S Williams; L Jarvis, A Moore; D Jones, B Williams, A Jones, A Newman, G Llewellyn (capt), A Mocelutu, N Bonner-Evans, B Sinkinson. Replacements: A Matthews for B Williams (19 mins), S Tandy for Mocelutu (62 mins), S Connor for Jarvis (78 mins).
REFEREE: C White (England).
