Gerry Thornley: Judge Munster after third season

Munster will never forget this season. It was and will forever be defined by the sudden and premature passing of Anthony Foley on the morning of their scheduled European Champions Cup opener in Paris against Racing 92.

They can feel rightly proud of the way they honoured his memory in the days and weeks that followed, even if they ultimately came a semi-final and then final short of doing so in the manner they so wanted.

That is why their season will perhaps feel even more acutely anti-climactic than will be the case for Leinster.

Munster thrive in adversity and when they have a cause, and they had invested so much emotional energy in this draining season that to come up so disappointingly short against Saracens five weeks ago and the Scarlets last Saturday will feel even worse.

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By any stretch of the imagination, Munster have made immeasurable strides this season.

Last season they finished sixth in the Pro12 and failed to advance from their European Champions Cup pool, whereas this season they topped both the Pro12 table and their European group, reaching the semi-finals in Europe and the final in the Pro12.

In total, Munster played 28 competitive games last season, winning 16 and losing 12. This season they played 32, winning 26 games and losing only half a dozen compared to last season’s dozen.

Yet when asked after Saturday's defeat if their much improved Pro12 showing, from sixth to first place over 22 games, was any consolation, Conor Murray said it was none whatsoever.

A striking feature of both their defeats at the Aviva is how relatively toothless they were made to look

Granted, he was talking in the immediate aftermath of the loss, and the sheer scale of the 46-22 whipping had clearly embarrassed him and his team-mates. Murray had been ruled out of Munster’s last appearance in the final, when also beaten convincingly, by 31-13, two years ago in the Kingspan Stadium.

Furthermore, of course, Munster’s latest European odyssey had also ended in something of a thumping at the Aviva when, as on Saturday, they took an early lead through a Tyler Bleyendaal penalty but were thereafter on the back foot for much of the game.

Relatively toothless

A striking feature of both their defeats at the Aviva is how relatively toothless they were made to look. Much of Munster’s advancements this season were founded on strong set-pieces, and notably a potent scrum and maul, and a huge buy-in and work-rate to their defence.

When their set-pieces were working and they were getting CJ Stander and co over the gain line, their recycling was fairly remorseless too, and they could stealthily pick their moments to go wide. Throw in a generally good kicking and chasing game, so they won 26 of 32 games.

Perhaps what the Saracens and Scarlets anti-climaxes demonstrated was that when it comes to the sharp end of the season, ie semi-finals and finals when trophies come into view, you have to bring a little more.

You have to bring something special, something to earn you seven-pointers, something that opposing teams cannot cope with.

That’s certainly what the Scarlets brought not only to Saturday’s final, but the semi-final in the RDS and the home West Wales derby in the final round of regular season matches against the Ospreys.

In those three games, the Scarlets didn’t just beat the sides that finished fourth, second and first in the table, but beat them all well.

The stand-out feature of these performances was their willingness to use the full width of the pitch in attacking from deep, especially off turnovers. With the straight running lines and assured hands of Scott Williams and Jonathan Davies they had the playmakers to do so, as well as the outside backs and a roaming openside, James Davies, to deliver on the game.

There’s an undeniable trend which has seen Glasgow, Connacht and the Scarlets in turn claim the Pro12 trophy.

Come the playoffs, they were the teams with the most momentum and playing the most adventurous and potent brand of rugby. Improved spring weather and superior playing surfaces and conditions may also be a factor.

Glasgow, Connacht and the Scarlets all won the Pro12 title in their third season

Maybe, like Glasgow and Cardiff, the Scarlets benefitted from not having to compete on two fronts, and thus could manage their end to the season better. Low injury profiles and high levels of confidence helped too.

But come the semi-finals and final, a team has to wear its top and tails. It has to be bring its A game.

Training drills

After Saturday's game, the Scarlets' New Zealand coach Wayne Pivac talked of how their training sessions are often boringly repetitive, akin to the way the All Blacks train. Of course, much of Connacht's daring running and counter-attacking game last season was founded on repetitive training drills, and likewise the adventurous, offloading game with which Glasgow won the title two seasons ago.

Another common theme? Glasgow, Connacht and the Scarlets all won the Pro12 title in their third season under Gregor Townsend, Lam and now Pivac.

In the first season under their watch, Glasgow finished third under Townsend and lost a semi-final away to Leinster, Connacht finished tenth and the Scarlets sixth, and none made it to the knock-out stages in Europe.

Viewed in that light, finishing top of the table and reaching the Pro12 final, while also reaching the semi-finals in the Champions Cup, is strong progress in the first season under Rassie Erasmus and a fairly new coaching ticket.

It’s just that it doesn’t feel like that at the moment.

gthornley@irishtimes.com