Rugby Talking Points: Daunting task for Munster in Bath
Munster's John Hodnett dejected after the Stormers' loss. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
At this moment in time, there cannot be too many more daunting tasks in European rugby than having to open your Champions Cup account against Johann van Graan’s high-flying Bath, but that is the task awaiting Clayton McMillan’s Munster this weekend at the Recreation Ground.
Bath are the reigning English champions and current table toppers in the Guinness Premiership, with them having only lost once in the league this season, a 22-20 loss to Leicester in October, and they are bang on form if last weekend’s impressive 29-36 victory away to Saracens is anything to go by.
Former Munster head coach van Graan led the famous club to their first league title in 29 years last term, and they are now eager to kick on and make their presence felt in Europe.
They have not lost a league or European tie at the Rec in over a year and it is a record they will not be in any rush to relinquish.
Munster’s European record is littered with fabulously unlikely victories on the road, with April’s knockout win over La Rochelle being the most recent. They will require a new addition this Saturday to get the latest European adventure off to a winning start.
While nobody was under any illusions around the strength, or lack of, of Munster’s scrum, the theory going into last weekend’s home fixture against the Stormers was that the home front row should be OK given that the Stormers Springboks were all occupied over in Cardiff for the slaughter of Wales.
As notions go, it was a flawed one, as the Munster scrum completely crumbled in the second half, conceding penalty after penalty, and proved the platform for the Stormers to come from 15 points down at half time to win 21-27.
As confidence builders go, it was not great.
Last weekend Munster started the experienced prop pairing of Jeremy Loughman and John Ryan and while there certainly were no panic stations early on, that all changed when the Stormers unleashed their bomb squad in the 44th minute, when they effectively brought in an entirely new front five.
Michael Milne, Niall Scannell and Ronan Foxe were all brought on to counter this move, but there was to be holding back the tide. There were a few individual errors that stood out as costing Munster late on, but it was the scrum dominance that really turned the game.
While Munster are scrambling for available tight-heads, Bath can call upon Thomas du Toit and Will Stuart. The Springbok and English internationals both tip the scales at around the 21 and a half stone mark and they are likely to be a tag team pairing that could well turn the tie in Bath’s favour if Munster are unable to counter their scrummaging power.
With the knowledge of what is coming down the tracks, the arrival at Thomond Park of Michael Ala’alatoa could not be better timed. With uncertainty surrounding the short to medium term availabilities of both Oli Jager and Roman Salanoa, Munster find themselves extremely light in the ballast department, so the Samoan’s near 21 stone frame should certainly come in handy over the next few weeks and months.
With Finn Russell pulling the strings behind the formidable Bath pack, if Munster are to have serious aspirations of victory they will require Jack Crowley to be in the other no. 10 shirt on Saturday, with the potential match-up between the pair being worth the entry fee on its own.
If Russell can get the time to unleash his pacy backline of Harry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga and Max Ojomoh then Munster could be in real trouble.
Reports early in the week suggested that Crowley was “being assessed” following a leg injury sustained in the bruising battle with the Stormers last Saturday, but the club were hopeful regarding his availability. It is difficult to argue a case for a Munster win if they end up being shorn their talisman at 10.
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