From the exhilaration of the Triple A rated match against Wasps last week, a large crowd went to Thomond Park.
Hoping for more of the same, they were instead treated to the short end of the stick, a D for drab; the proceedings also managed the near impossible trick of silencing the normally vociferous home fans.
Castres are something akin to a Jack Russell who has a hold of your trouser leg, they are notoriously difficult to shake off. But the real problem with Munster is that nobody knows what's coming, they are still searching for the sort of consistency that will make them the serious challengers they should be.
The rampant Omicron coronavirus variant means that many disappointed supporters will get their money back for the upcoming Munster v Leinster match. On Saturday a refund, for a completely different reason, might well have been demanded.
It’s hard to gauge the effect on the squad, with the announcement that Johann van Graan is departing for new pastures in Bath at the end of the season, but we can hazard a guess that it isn’t all positive. Of course, he is fully entitled to make the move, but the manner of it all, and the timing, is a huge disappointment. Having said that, if a coach wants to go, it will never be productive to try and get him to change his mind.
Every coach who is about to depart office will assure us all that his focus will remain solely on his current role, until the day of departure, but that’s probably easier said than done. Where next for Munster’s South African players who will be out of contract at the end of the season is anybody’s guess; but, don’t forget, all is fair in love and war – that’s professionalism – and it’d hardly be a surprise if they follow in JVG’s footsteps.
Consistent Carley
English referee Mathew Carley, maddeningly, can take a long time in discussions with his TMO, but by and large he gave a good, accurate performance. He also took absolutely no back chat, marching Castres back an extra 10m on two occasions. His colleague, Luke Pearce, equally, gave Saracens a tough time a couple of weeks ago for appealing decisions in their loss to English premiership rivals Exeter, with Billy Vunipola getting particular attention. Both referees were absolutely right.
Right now, there is far, far too much player questioning, waving arms in the air and sneering at decisions. The respect which match officials have always enjoyed is being eroded, chipped away, and they have only themselves to blame.
It is impossible not to be sympathetic to a referee who has to deal with a scrum which just refuses to behave
Followers of football, the round ball game, have in the past watched jealously as rugby referees enjoyed a respected status very different from their own whistlers. Not so now and despite having all the tools in the box to stop the erosion, referees seem puzzlingly reluctant to use them. There are penalties available, there is the extra 10m and there are cards of both colours. The time has come to call a halt to this unnecessary tolerance, cut out the repeated warnings, show some strength.
Failure to do so will lead to life on the pitch becoming more and more uncomfortable and it will seep down through all the levels as bad habits always do. Referees can be comforted by the fact they will earn nothing less than total respect by taking action, whereas more inaction will just gain more contempt. In Sharks v Bulls recently the vastly experienced Jaco Peyper found it necessary to appeal to both captains to show respect and return to the values; fair enough, but it shows how far things have descended.
The solution is there, it’s simple and it’s in very plain sight in the Laws of the Game. So let’s be clear – no wavering, just get on with it.
On Friday night Ulster's win against Northampton gave them two from two. They should now be well placed to make the last 16 in the competition but, nonetheless, have injury worries they could well do without, including captain Iain Henderson.
The match was controlled by Italian referee Andrea Piardi. And, while one swallow doesn't make a summer, he showed some nice touches and will be worth keeping an eye on.
Fog of combat
Players and teams weren't the only ones affected by coronavirus – Andy Brace found himself in foggy Glasgow, instead of downtown Paris.
It is impossible not to be sympathetic to a referee who has to deal with a scrum which just refuses to behave. Both packs were intent on having what resembled a frontrow wrestling match; and Brace used a cocktail of free-kicks, penalties and chat, but all to no avail.
There is always a dilemma in these situations, but there is also another step which might usefully have been considered – and that is to get the cards out for repeated infringement, nobody could, or would, have argued. But at least we got a match despite the very best efforts of the fog which did its level best to see it called off. Glasgow ran out well-deserved winners (22-7) over a strangely subdued Exeter who, surprisingly, have yet to go home with a win from the Scotstoun venue.
These very strange times need out-of-the-box thinking, not simply the standard application of a competition rule which damages the integrity of the competition
Leicester’s Welford Road saw a mighty effort from Connacht, and they travelled back west with a bonus point which could well have been more. The number of subs, and how they are deployed, has raised questions in recent times, but, disappointingly, nothing has been changed by World Rugby even though there is player safety involved here.
So, only 10 minutes into the second half Leicester were able to replace their frontrow en bloc. A series of scrums followed, 5m out from the Connacht line, resulting in murderous pressure which Finlay Bealham found impossible to resist. Inevitably, he caved in and referee Mike Adamson reached into his pocket. Down a man, Connacht conceded 14 points, and there was no way back.
Finally, to a match which wasn't played. The issues surrounding the decision, by European Professional Club Rugby's match-risk assessment group, to cancel Leinster's trip to Montpellier, are well documented, but to give the home team five league table points plus 28 match points is completely inequitable. The competition is close to chaos, which is not of the organiser's making. But failure to take a more considered and common sense approach only adds to their problems. These very strange times need out-of-the-box thinking, not simply the standard application of a competition rule which damages the integrity of the competition.
The assurances which Leinster were given, and the fact that they had a match-day squad ready to travel, who had all tested negative, surely points to the match being played at a later date. There is a heck of a lot more here than just a compelling case to do so.
