Following Munster’s 27-22 victory over the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, here are five takeaways from the United Rugby Championship clash.
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It was another cracking match for URC at Loftus. Both sides lashed out at each other with hammers and tongs.
In the end, it was a combination of Johan Goossen’s red card and Munster’s grit and determination that decided the match, with Conor Murray returning to the pitch after Craig Casey’s HIA and scoring the winning try.
It was a fierce battle in every aspect of the game, with both sides needing a bit of luck along the way. The Bulls’ poor lineout was duly punished, with Shane Daly scoring the first try of the match from possession following a turnover.
Elly Rowe roared over the line for the Bulls’ counterattack, before RG Snyman responded with his old club, giving the visitors a 14-10 lead at the break.
Tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse and Johan Grobbelaar seemed to give the Bulls the lead for the first time in the game, but it was the Irish province who had the final say, winning for the first time in eight consecutive URC games against the South African side. He achieved victory. Win in Pretoria.
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Bulls gamble fails
Bulls manager Jake White insists he played the game against Northampton in a weakened state due to health reasons, but his side were aiming for a home win against Munster to qualify for the URC play-offs at home. no doubt.
However, everything backfired for the Pretoria side, who were eliminated from the Investec Champions Cup and suffered their first home defeat at URC this season.
In the game against Munster, they were missing several players up front and Goosen was sent off, so they played a role, but it is no exaggeration to say that their gamble backfired.
It’s not all doom and gloom as we have the season-ending game in our favor, but a win today would have brought us within reach of leaders Leinster after losing to the Lions just a few hours ago. .
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Johan Goossen sees red
Goosen tried to put pressure on Craig Casey, who had just come off the bench, with a shot from his line, but it all went wrong as he clicked into the scrum-half and made head-to-head contact. .
The ball spilled and Kanan Moody ran out for a corner kick, but match officials ruled that out after a review.
Bulls fans looked stunned as cameras panned across the stadium, but in reality, officials rightfully issued a red card.
It’s always a gamble to shoot from the line when the ball pops out from the breakdown, as you run the risk of mistiming your run and giving away a penalty or, as in this case, making a reckless tackle.
Goossen was always upright, rolling the dice to spoil Munster’s possessions, but still wondering if it was worth it. At that stage of the match, the Bulls had the momentum and had quickly scored two tries to take the lead.
Munster took full advantage of Gusen’s indiscipline and moved up the pitch to equalize. Before his sending off, the fly-half had put in a pretty impressive performance, including some great line breaks and some great kicks.
It had become somewhat of a brand for Goosen, who has been incredibly hot and cold in games lately.
Jack Crowley’s class shines
Munster and Ireland’s pivot continues to go from strength to strength, with another mesmerizing performance from the number 10 jumper.
After starring in Munster’s title-winning campaign last season, Crowley has changed gears and has flourished for club and country, particularly after filling the void left by Johnny Sexton in the Ireland jersey.
The 24-year-old displayed incredible skill and dominated the match with some great game management, especially in the first half.
His short and long kicks were great, his cross kicks were great, but he also didn’t hesitate to bring the ball over the line and was rightly named Man of the Match for his classy performance that led his team to victory. It was.
Crowley’s conversion error gave the Bulls one last chance to win with a converted try, but it was one of his few failures in the game, the other being a missed touchline kick.
Today was another addition to the ever-growing catalog of great performances that led the team to a famous victory.
Munster shows its pedigree
This sending off was undoubtedly the turning point in the match, but throughout the game the visitors made the most of the chances given to them by the Bulls.
Graham Rountree’s side have been lucky on a few occasions, with Snyman having tackled David Kriel with a hard knee and a suspected knock-on in the build-up to Murray’s try. was not sanctioned. But still, like any championship team, they found a way to win the result.
As mentioned above, they had a tough battle with the Bulls in every facet of the game, but at times it was down to their own luck as well. They are currently just six points clear of Leinster and a fit and ready-to-play side would think they could at least secure a home play-off spot.
The decision to put an influential player on the bench finally crossed the line against Pretoria, with Snyman and Tadhg Beirne starting in the same second row for the first time, and the benefits were clear. Snyman broke off a strong shift, while Beirne, in addition to his trademark outstanding performance, sealed the result with a turnover. Munster were able to put immense pressure on the Bulls’ lineout, while the likes of Alex Kenderen, Alex Nankyvel and John Hodnett were all in excellent form.
Munster were the dark horses that won the URC last season. They did it the hard way. Although they had a tough time this time, no one would underestimate them.
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