A red card helped but Munster had to be accurate to win in Pretoria.
They have been crippled by injuries at times this season so Graham Rowntree and co. were due some fortune. It arrived with Johan Goosen’s reckless tackle on Craig Casey, who was the unfortunate victim of a reckless tackle.
Munster nearly scored on the attack directly after Goosen’s red card as they cleverly attempted to immediately expose the fact that the Bulls were missing a back. In basic terms, it all means right wing Sebastien de Klerk has a lot of ground to cover in the backfield, with that extra back missing. Munster actually lose that lineout but almost instantly win the ball back with a breakdown turnover, another key theme of this win at Loftus Versfeld.
That’s the case in this instance as Munster score on eighth phase. Initially, Munster don’t make any great headway but they hold the ball until the Bulls give up a penalty advantage for not rolling away from a tackle. And as is often the case, Munster pounce with that advantage in their pocket. It’s clear how much of a turnover threat Bulls loosehead Gerhard Steenekamp is but Scannell is decisive in removing that threat.
Hodnett gathers on the full but he has to stand and wait for the ball to drop, meaning he still needs to produce an outstanding finish.Hodnett’s effort is fitting of a Springboks wing. The Munster man hitches up off his left leg as he goes past Moodie, meaning he has both feet off the ground when Arendse makes contact.
Crowley can’t convert from wide on the right but Munster are back to 22-22 with the final quarter still ahead. Nankivell is consistently good at showing an exaggerated ‘clear release’ from the tackle and does so here.Nankivell then snaps down over the ball, getting an immediate connection with it. He still has to take a punishing clearout from Kriel and Louw but comes away with another clean turnover.
He times his run around the corner well to punch onto the ball and make further ground as Hodnett latches on. Referee Jones is happy with the clearout as Frisch manages to remove Moodie and with Crowley protecting the ball, Murray can move it again as the advantage continues. Murray can’t land a forceful fend onto Louw but he’s able to get the ball beyond the Bulls man, roll with the tackle and extend his right arm to dot down.The Bulls are direct with their next possession but Munster manage the initial maul effort and then muscle up in the tackle through the likes of Coombes, Jager, Murray and Hodnett.
Munster On A High On A Highveld URC
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