Mighty Munster storm to victory in South Africa to lift first trophy in 12 season

Stormers 14 

Munster 19 

THE incredible scenes in Cape Town of Peter O’Mahony lifting the URC trophy on Saturday has instantly been added to Thomond Park in 1978 and Cardiff in 2006 and 2008 in the lofty list of Munster’s greatest ever moments.

Probably the most notable aspect of this triumph is that no one saw it coming, which makes it all the more wonderful. 

Only a few weeks ago Munster’s season looked to be sliding towards inevitable mediocrity, and now the club is buzzing.

When you lose five of your first seven games, including dreadful defeats away to Cardiff, the Dragons and Connacht, there is absolutely nothing to indicate that here, before your eyes, is a title winning side in the making. 

There was simply no sign of the team that was going to go on this astonishing run away from home in the league from October onwards, where they went undefeated to the end of the season.

The play-off sequence of winning away at Glasgow, Dublin and the Stormers actually surpasses either of the winning runs that Munster had to negotiate in 2006 and 2008 to win the Heineken Cup in terms of difficulty. 

It was that impressive. It was that unlikely.

When watching the all-conquering Ireland U20 sides of 2019 and 2020 one just knew that the good times were on their way back to Munster. We just did not expect it to arrive so soon. 

The doom and gloom merchants were happy to sip from their half empty glasses, but we could see the quality emerging from the 2019 crew – Ben Healy, Craig Casey, John Hodnett, Josh Wycherley, as well as Jake Flannery, Conor Philips, Jonathan Wren and Sean French from the Munster parish – and then in 2020 the stars of that side were Jack Crowley and Tom Ahern.

Obviously, not everyone makes the step up from U20 grade to senior international standard, but Munster fans knew that they had not produced this talented a crop in decades. 

The only problem was that you have to be patient with players of that age. They are like a fine wine that has to be let age in the cellar for a few years before you can finally uncork it and enjoy the finished product.

It was no surprise then that Hodnett would be the man of the match in Munster’s first trophy success in twelve years - he had just turned 12 when Paul O’Connell lifted Munster’s last silverware. 

Jack Crowley, who was only 11 when Munster beat Leinster in the 2011 league final, was also instrumental to the win, showing the control and maturity that Leinster sorely lacked the previous weekend against La Rochelle.

In the build up to the recent Champions Cup Final, Leinster’s Andrew Porter belittled the URC as a competition, stating how they get no stars on their jersey for winning league titles (what’s the fascination with talking about stars in Dublin 4?).

Well, Munster’s exploits in recent weeks have elevated the competition to new heights. It was Munster who gave the romanticism and passion to the Champions Cup in the first place. 

Without Munster the Champions Cup would never have become what it is. Now, it looks like the club is doing the very same thing for the URC.

The arrival of the South African sides to the domestic league has basically created a brand-new competition, and it has been an unbridled success. This is a completely new product to the old Magners League and the Pro14. 

It is a superb product and one that is damn hard to win. Mr. Porter and his friends will be amongst the many sides hoping to win next year’s renewal on the back of what they just witnessed Munster achieve.

The Stormers looked to be shocked by the intensity that Munster brought to proceedings. 

If they expected just another run of the mill high-scoring league fixture then they were badly mistaken. This was Munster, vintage heart on the sleeve, fire in the belly, salt on the shoulder Munster. Any victory over Graham Rowntree’s side would have to be earned.

The officials certainly did not help Munster’s cause either, with the 13-5 penalty count giving the Stormers every chance of holding onto their crown, but this Munster side simply would not be denied.

After the semi-final victory over Leinster in Dublin captain Peter O’Mahony spoke about the importance of making sure that game was not their final. 

The win over the Stormers needs to be celebrated, and with gusto, but the next step for Munster is to ensure that the league title triumph is not a standalone win, but a launching pad to many future successes, both in the league and in Europe.

Oh, and we will sign off with interesting fact time – on Saturday Munster became the first Irish team EVER to win a major trophy on a continent other than Europe. 

How do you like them apples?