Despite the loss, Munster’s performance in Toulouse was a further indication of their upward graph this season. After losing five of their first seven games, since that landmark win over a South African A side, they have won five out of eight, and the three defeats against Toulouse (twice) and Leinster have all been by one score. But the effects of that sluggish start continue to ripple.
One of the consequences is that they have little elbow room on a demanding run-in to their URC campaign if they are to seal a place in the quarter-final and in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup.
Going into Saturday’s crunch game against Benetton at the Stadio Monigo (kick-off 3.30pm local time/2.30pm Irish), Munster stand seventh and occupy the last qualifying place for the Champions Cup given the leading Welsh side, Cardiff, are in 11th place. The Blues are just three points adrift, with Edinburgh, two points behind, and the Sharks, three behind but with two games in hand, also breathing down their necks.
However, a win in Treviso would allow them to continue looking upwards, not least as the Italian side are just one place and one point above Munster, before a crunch run of three home games against the Ospreys, Scarlets and Cardiff during and immediately after the Six Nations.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
England coach Richard Wigglesworth unsure as to Felix Jones’ role in South Africa preparations
Farrell set to stay his hand on wholesale changes for Ireland XV against Argentina
High price of penalties left Ireland in the red against All Blacks
After their last 16 Champions Cup tie against the Sharks and, potentially, a quarter-final in Toulouse, Munster finish their URC regular season when returning to South Africa for games against the Stormers and the Sharks.
But forwards coach Andi Kyriacou maintains they will remain on an upward curve.
[ Owen Doyle: Healy’s harsh yellow card dented Munster hopes of famous winOpens in new window ]
“Our performances have mirrored the amount of work we’ve been putting in away from matchday in training. We’re seeing improvement week on week around a lot of aspects of our game, and we don’t, at any point, envisage us dropping away. It’s the standards we’re setting ourselves week to week and day to day, and it doesn’t matter what players are available. They live by those standards and that’s what we’re all driving.”
Munster will have to negotiate their next four games without their Irish contingent of Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Jack Crowley, Keith Earls, Dave Kilcoyne, Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony. Ben Healy has also joined the Scotland squad for a three-day camp in Edinburgh but will be available for the Benetton game as, of course, will Joey Carbery.
Mike Haley will undergo a scan to assess the ankle injury he sustained in Toulouse on Sunday, while Simon Zebo (illness) and James French (lower leg injury) are unavailable and thus join Jeremy Loughman (thigh), Tom Ahern (shoulder), RG Snyman (knee), Paddy Kelly (head), Jack Daly (knee), Andrew Conway (knee), Keynan Knox (knee) and Kiran McDonald (arm) on the injured list.
Against that, Fineen Wycherley is out from what Kyriacou called the “giraffe sanctuary” in the medical room after fully recovering from his shoulder injury, adding: “We’re ecstatic to have Fin back and ready to play. He’s ready to go.”
Helpfully, 13 Munster players were in AIL action last weekend, and Kyriacou reckons they were “lucky” that a combination of the summer tour, Emerging Ireland tour, a raft of injuries and the Autumn Series obliged them to use 55 players in their first 10 games of the season.
“Lads were given a lot of exposure and potentially a bit earlier than they and us thought would initially come. But that’s put us in a really strong position now. They’ve had that exposure.”
Munster look to have drawn the short straw with their trek to Durban for their Champions Cup last 16 tie against the Sharks, but Kyriacou countered: “You are where you are. It’s one of those things where you can only look after yourself. We just locked into our performance on Sunday and lots of aspects of that were great, and a lot of pleasing things, but there’s a lot of things to work on still. So we’re pleased with aspects of the performance, disappointed with the result, and we’ll deal with the Sharks when we get a bit near to it. All of our focus is on Treviso this week. We know what a threat they are, at home especially.”
Indeed, Benetton have won eight of nine competitive home games this season, including six with an attacking bonus point, but then again Kieran Crowley has included 16 of their players in his 34-man Six Nations squad.
“It’s important, absolutely, but the way we started the season every game has become really important as we move into the back end of the season. We’re preparing really, really hard for the challenge on Saturday.”
This match will also mark John Ryan’s last game in his profoundly effective short-term return to his native province from Wasps before joining the Chiefs in Waikato.
“We’re obviously disappointed to see him go but he’s had to do what’s right for him,” said Kiriacou. “He’s been excellent since he’s come back from Wasps. He’s added real value, not just in his performances but the way he’s approached things with younger players in the squad, just passing on all his knowledge, live within sessions and also after via video.
“He’s been great to have back in the building and yeah we just wish him well for the next few months.”
Munster’s URC run-in
Saturday: v Benetton, Stadio Monigo (3.30pm Italian/2.30pm Irish).
Friday, February 17th: v Ospreys, Thomond Park, (7.35pm).
Friday, March 3rd: v Scarlets, Musgrave Park, (7.35pm).
Saturday, March 25th: v Glasgow Warriors, Thomond Park, (5.15pm).
Saturday, April 15th: v Stormers, Cape Town (5.15pm).
Saturday, April 22nd: v Sharks, Kings Park, Durban (4.15pm).
