Munster struggle in Champions Cup opener in Bath

Bath 40 Munster 14 

Clayton McMillan’s Munster were handed a humbling defeat as Johann van Graan’s Bath delivered a statement of intent to their European rivals in this Champions Cup pool opener at The Rec on Saturday night.

Munster had travelled to the home of the English champions and a date with their former head coach knowing they would need what centre Tom Farrell had described as a “complete performance” to upset the PREM league leaders on their own patch under the lights.

Yet having lost their unbeaten start in the URC seven days previously as they were outmuscled by the Stormers as the South Africans rebounded from a 21-6 half-time deficit, McMillan’s side were on the receiving end of a fast-starting Bath blitz in front of a sell-out crowd by the banks of the River Avon.

Four tries delivered a try bonus point after just 18 minutes, the second and third with Munster captain Tadhg Beirne in the sin bin, and though European debutant Edwin Edogbo and Craig Casey replied before the interval, and fifth try for the home side put the game beyond the visitors before half-time.

It was also Bath who broke a second-half stalemate with a late try from replacement Ted Hill to give Munster plenty to think about over their next Pool 2 opponents, Gloucester, whom they welcome to Cork next Saturday for a first European fixture at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Munster had already lost the services of first-choice fly-half Jack Crowley to ankle injury following last Saturday’s URC loss and there were further disruptions before kick-off when South Africa lock Jean Kleyn was withdrawn for personal reasons and loosehead prop Michael Milne was injured during the pre-match warm-up.

Crowley’s absence had meant the number 10 jersey went to JJ Hanrahan when McMillan named his team on Friday and the two forwards were replaced from the bench with Edwin Edogbo starting in the second row and Jeremy Loughman at loosehead prop, with Fineen Wycherley and Josh Wycherley taking their respective places among the replacements. 

McMillan had selected a split of six forwards and two backs as his covering options, dispensing with an orthodox fly-half and lining up starting scrum-half Craig Casey as the man to move into the playmaking role in the event of an injury to Hanrahan with Ethan Coughlan the cover at number nine and Alex Nankivell covering the outside back positions.

The game kicked off in pouring rain at a sold-out Rec and with Munster hoping the rugby gods would be kind to Hanrahan’s body, yet they had more pressing issues from the outset.

A malfunctioning lineout was an immediate issue as the visitors lost their first four throws on their own ball, the last of those allowing Bath to kick deep into the opposition 22, where Shane Daly was rushed into touch, and from there the problems were compounded, van Graan’s forwards powering over with their lineout drive and Munster captain Tadhg Beirne yellow carded for collapsing the maul as referee Jeremy Rozier awarded a penalty try after six minutes.

By the time Beirne returned from the sin bin, his side were 21-0 down, No.8 Miles Reid and wing Henry Arundell crossing the whitewash with Finn Russell converting both with his first two kicks at the posts.

Bath had their try bonus point with 120 seconds of Munster being restored to their full complement on 18 minutes as their maul rumbled into action once more, hooker Tom Dunn finishing move with Russell converting from wide out to make it 28-0.

The Rec was in party mode but credit to McMillan’s side, they had not been cowed into submission and when Edogbo, on his European debut, finished off a five-metre tap penalty on 23 minutes there was confirmation Munster would not go down without a fight.

Hanrahan converted and the points sparked a revival, aided by a Bath yellow card for Lions tighthead Will Stuart after a Munster maul was collapsed. It led to the introduction of Springbok Thomas du Toit, hardly a downgrade, but the Irish province had a man extra and they took advantage, Casey sniping from close range at a ruck and Hanrahan converting to make it 35-14 at the half-time break.

McMillan was proactive in making changes in an effort to get his side back into the game, introducing Samoa and former Leinster tighthead Michael Ala’alatoa, hooker Lee Barron and Nankivell to the right wing ahead of the second half. Alex Kendellen came into the back row at openside flanker nine minutes in as Bath lost their England tighthead Stuart to injury but though Munster were shading both possession and territory, their best chance of closing the gap ended with a knock-on in front of the posts during a battle at close quarters, Gavin Coombes spilling the ball in heavy contact.

Instead it was a Bath replacement who grabbed the only try of the second half, back-rower Ted Hill on hand to finish a fine solo effort off his own quick tap penalty from captain and scrum-half Ben Spencer two minutes from time.