Champions Cup: Bath 40 Munster 14
Munster won’t seek out excuses, and there were several in weighing up the impact of the prematch disruption and instead will reflect on the controllables as a lingering source of frustration in a Champions Cup match initially shaped by torrential rain.
Bath were deserving winners simply because they took enough chances, racking up 21 points when their opponents were a man short. In captain Ben Spencer the home side had the game’s most polished performer on the night. They won the aerial game, a battle that had a significant impact on the outcome.
Munster chased and harried, fought hard to make inroads into the deficit and to overcome a misfiring lineout and at times scrum, but couldn’t convert periods of second half dominance into points, despite the best efforts of standout players, Gavin Coombes, Edwin Edogbo and Dan Kelly, all of whom were able to win collisions.
Tries by Edogbo and Casey allowed Munster to mitigate the shock of trailing 28-0 to an interval deficit 35-14. There was only one further score in the match and that will frustrate Munster because they dominated territory and possession in the second half but couldn’t close that gap.
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Munster’s misfortune started before the game, as secondrow Jean Kleyn withdrew for personal reasons and they lost Michael Milne to an injury in the warm-up. The moving parts saw Jeremy Loughman and Edwin Edogbo promoted to the starting team with their places on the bench going to the Wycherley brothers, Josh and Fineen.
The hat-trick in setbacks materialised on five minutes when Tadhg Beirne received a yellow card for ‘swimming’ up the side of a lineout maul. The initial punishment was a penalty try but by the time that the Munster captain returned from his enforced sabbatical, the Irish province had conceded a further two tries and trailed 21-0.
A hefty portion of their woes were self-inflicted, losing four or the first five lineouts in the game and giving away penalties that allowed Bath access to their 22. Tom de Glanville’s clever line and powerful carry inside the Munster 22, provided the preamble to a try for number eight Miles Reid.
A Josh Bayliss turnover at a ruck, and scrumhalf Ben Spencer’s clever appreciation of the acres of space and perfectly weighted kick, enabled left wing Henry Arundel to win the footrace for his side’s third try.
Munster continued to be dogged by little mistakes, no brake foot in a scrum, hoofing possession over the dead ball line, a scrum penalty, all of which contrived to give Bath a lineout inside the visitors 22, from which hooker Tom Dunn was shunted over the line by his pack: a four try bonus point, secured two minutes shy of the first quarter of the game and a handsome 28-0 lead to boot with Finn Russell landing all four conversions.
To their credit Munster showed spirit in adversity, Bath’s undone by indiscipline, as they conceded three penalties in quick succession. Gavin Coombes’ initial sally was followed by Edwin Edogbo who barged through two tacklers from close range for a try that JJ Hanrahan converted.
Two more penalties had Bath backed up inside their 22 again and when tighthead prop Will Stuart drove under Tom Ahern early, he rightly saw a yellow card. The home side survived, just, and when loosehead prop Beno Obano muscled his way over for his side’s fifth try, the contest had reached another tipping point.
It was Munster though that found a riposte in the 90 seconds left on the match clock before the interval, Craig Casey dived over after some excellent attacking rugby, with backs and forwards combining to work the opportunity. JJ Hanrahan kicked the conversion to make it 35-14 at half-time.
Munster brought on Michael Ala’alatoa for his debut, Lee Baron replaced his namesake Diarmuid at hooker, Alex Nankevill was introduced for Diarmuid Kilgallen and within nine minutes of the restart Alex Kendellen was on for John Hodnett. The visitors’ lineout issues hadn’t been completely eradicated.
It was a pity because when Munster were able to retain possession, they caused Bath problems, Coombes and Edogbo were more than a match for their hosts in the collisions. Hanrahan’s kicking out of hand was first class. The only quibble was the back play was a little lateral.
Referee Jeremy Rozier warned the home side after a third penalty transgression inside their 22. Munster launched a full-frontal assault battering away, only for a knock-on to let the home side escape. The Irish province engineered access to the red or scoring zone, but little mistakes negated the hard-won territory.
The contest lost shape, continuity, riddled with mistakes, many of the basic variety and not helped by the glut of replacements. Dan Kelly provided a couple of positive carries and offloaded too but slow ruck ball after the initial line-breaks allowed Bath to regroup.
Munster kept plugging away, gutsy and honest, but just lacking accuracy, composure and the elevated quality required to breach the Bath defence. It was a nagging source of frustration that was compounded two minutes from time when replacement Ted Hill crossed for a try, the only score of the second half.
Max Ojomoh set the score in motion by beating a few tacklers inside the Bath 22, Russell’s cross-kick to Joe Cokanasiga was perfect but it was fitting that the outstanding Bath scrumhalf Ben Spencer provided the crucial role, his break, chip and pass setting Hill free.
Scoring sequence: 5 mins: Penalty try, 7-0; 9: Reid try, Russell conversion, 14-0; 11: Arundel try, Russell conversion, 21-0; 18: Dunn try, Russell conversion, 28-0; 22: Edogbo try, Hanrahan conversion, 28-7; 37: Obano try, Russell conversion, 35-7; 40 (+1): Casey try, Hanrahan conversion, 35-14. Half-time: 35-14. 78: Hill try, 40-14.
Bath: Tom de Glanville; Joe Cokanasiga, Max Ojomoh, Cameron Redpath, Henry Arundell; Finn Russell, Ben Spencer (capt); Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Will Stuart, Quinn Roux, Charlie Ewels, Josh Bayliss, Guy Pepper, Miles Reid.
Replacements: Sam Underhill for Pepper half-time; Thomas du Toit for Reid 33 mins and Stuart 49 mins; Kepu Tuipulotu for Dunn 62 mins; Ross Molony for Roux 62 mins; Santi Carreras for de Glanville 62 mins; Francois van Wyk for Obano 62 mins; Ted Hill for Bayliss 62 mins, Tom Carr-Smith for Spencer 79 mins.
Yellow card: W Stuart 28 mins.
Munster: Shane Daly; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Tom Farrell, Dan Kelly, Thaakir Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan; Edwin Edogbo, Tom Ahern; Tadhg Beirne (capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Michael Ala’alatoa for Ryan half-time; Lee Barron for D Baron half-time; Alex Nankivell for Kilgallen half-time; Alex Kendellen for Hodnett 49 mins; Ruadhán Quinn for Edogbo 53 mins; Josh Wycherley for Loughman 59 mins; Fineen Wycherley for Coombes 65 mins; Edogbo for F Wycherley 67 mins; Ethan Coughlan for Casey 72 mins.
Yellow card: T Beirne 5 mins.
Referee: J Rozier (France)
