Ospreys 19 Munster 14:IT IS hard to know what is of greater concern to Munster coach Tony McGahan today after watching his team crumble on Saturday against the Ospreys ahead of crucial back-to-back Heineken Cup games against Perpignan.
It could be the injury to captain Paul O'Connell, the spectacular loss of form in front of goal of top scorer Ronan O'Gara or the depressing form away from home that is threatening their ambitions in two competitions.
The first problem should be eased this week though the second may take longer and the third longer still. Munster have now lost four from four on the road in the Magners League as well as their defeat at Northampton Saints in the Heineken Cup and McGahan knows that form will be severely tested at Stade Aime Giral in two weeks.
He said: "Consistency away is a real problem and we're in no uncertainty about what is in front of us against Perpignan. However that is a completely different competition so this result will not have any ramifications next weekend. We have a few players to come back so there will be no hangover. We will have to look at our discipline and defence around the ruck this week but we're going into the game very positively."
O'Connell withdrew as a "precautionary" measure after failing to shrug off a calf strain suffered against South Africa and though Munster are confident he will return this week, the absence of his calming leadership was felt against the Ospreys.
Munster had hooker Denis Fogarty and number eight James Coughlan both sin binned in the second half at the Liberty Stadium as a half-time lead turned into 19-7 deficit before Nick Williams's last score salvaged a bonus point.
There was a question of a forward pass in the build up to Tommy Bowe's try that swung the game in the Ospreys favour in the 43rd minute from which Munster never recovered until it was far too late. But McGahan could have few complaint of the outcome.
He said: "It was a fair result. The Ospreys played well in the second half, they controlled the game very well and got the result.
"From our vantage point and the replay we saw, it didn't look like the pass (to Bowe) was straight, but that's the way the game goes sometimes.
"We competed well in the first half, got good field possession but came up short on a few kicks that could have led to a larger score at half-time. But our discipline was a problem, we gave away too many penalties and had two men in the sin bin for 20 minutes of the second half which makes it very difficult to compete against a good team like the Ospreys. The only positive we can take is the bonus point."
The display of the scrum was surely another positive after winning a penalty try after just 13 minutes while Ian Dowling had a late opportunity to steal a victory.
However it may not have come to that had O'Gara not missed a staggering five from seven attempts at goal. It was hardly the kicking performance to prove a point to Ireland coach Declan Kidney just seven days after losing his Test jersey, or to inspire confidence ahead of a game in France that could be nip and tuck.
OSPREYS: Owen, Bowe, Parker, Bishop, Walker, Biggar, L. Davies, D. Jones, Hibbard, Mitchell, A. Jones, J. Thomas, Collins, Holah, Tiatia. Replacements: James for D. Jones (41), Bennett for Hibbard (72), Griffiths for Mitchell (75), Lloyd for A. Jones (80), Lewis for Tiatia (80). Not Used: Webb, Hook.
MUNSTER: Warwick, Howlett, de Villiers, Mafi, Earls, O'Gara, O'Leary, du Preez, Fogarty, Hayes, O'Callaghan, D. Ryan, Quinlan, Ronan, Coughlan. Replacements: Dowling for Howlett (67), D. Hurley for de Villiers (80), Stringer for O'Leary (74), Varley for Fogarty (72), Buckley for Hayes (64), O'Driscoll for D Ryan (58), N Williams for Coughlan (79).
Referee: Neil Paterson (SRFU).
