David Corkery: Munster's display was nothing short of embarrassing against Ulster

One to forget for Munster and a loss that certainly end’s the honeymoon period for Clayton McMillan.

Hear we go again, no sooner do we start believing that Munster are showing signs of progress, then up pops a performance that defies logic and has everyone scratching their heads in disbelief.

When this Munster squad assemble today for their post-game debriefing, I’d really like to think that McMillan will have read the riot act to his players, because this display was nothing short of embarrassing and it makes their hammering at the hands of Bath look like a drop in the ocean.

Hopefully, the no-nonsense New Zealander will just hit the play button on the games recording and let the players sit through the entirety of the game and when it's finished, I’d make them watch it again. 

At least by doing this the players would have to endure the same kind of torture that we had to.

In complete contrast to the kind of courageous fight that Munster put up to Leinster last weekend, Friday night's display against an average Ulster side was one of the worst I’ve ever seen, and that is something I wouldn’t say unless I had good cause to do so.

I realise that this Munster team was shorn of a few of their more experienced players for this game, but I had really hoped that the deputising younger players would stand up and be counted. 

God knows they complain enough when they don’t get an opportunity.

Apart from Calvin Nash, who is only returning after a long injury, Alex Nankavill and possibly Mike Haley, and if it was remotely feasible, I’d seriously look at dropping the other 12 for next week's Champions Cup tie away to Toulon.

If Munster arrive at the gates of Stade Mayol next weekend and look to play with the same kind of attitude as they did on Friday evening, not only will they lose handsomely on the scoreboard, but there is a serious chance that many of them will end up in the back of a French ambulance.

A somber lack of creativity, poor retention at the breakdown. and a kicking game that allowed Ulster way too much of an armchair ride are the three performance driven facets of the game that let Munster down on this occasion, however, the main thing that was missing was the boot and bollock that the famous red jersey demands anytime it is worn.

I’d like to use some foul language when depicting this game, but I don’t think it would pass the censorship desk on this occasion.

To say that Munster took whatever was thrown at them and accepted it with open arms would be putting it mildly. 

At no point in the game did it ever look like boiling over into a scrap and for as long as I’ve been watching Munster and Ulster go at it, there has always been a good few scuffles that needed the intervention of the referee.

I know that the handbags that are thrown today won’t win games, but at least it would have shown that Munster were not going to go down without a fight.

Thaakir Abrahams maybe rapid on his feet, but in defence his diminutive size had him bouncing off tackle after tackle on Friday night and as for him defending a cross-field-kick, there is no chance.

Jean Kleyn played the game as if he has already departed the province and Thomas Ahern was nothing like his normal industrious self.

The one man who could possibly have made a difference was John Hodnett, however, he left the field just after ten minutes with what looks like a very serious arm or wrist injury.

Contrast what any of the Munster forwards brought to the game with that of the powerful display that Ulster’s Bryn Ward showed and what you will get is a man against boys scenario.

Son of former Irish international Andy Ward, Bryn (21) is still a member of the Ulster academy and was selected to start on the back of some powerful cameos off the Ulster bench.

Evidently, Ward was not going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers and his powerful bursts and work ethic deservingly earned him the man of the match award.

The only possible positive aspect that McMillan can look to take from this game is the outcome from the Munster scrum.

For the first time in a good few games the Munster scrum looked capable of holding its own, but in saying that, the front-row combination that Toulon will produce next weekend is capable of devouring the entire Munster pack on their own.

I’m sure when McMillan won his first five games of the competitive season, he would have been thinking that he had landed the dream job, but the coaching game is a fickle one and all it takes is for three losses on the bounce before your head is being sought for on a plate.

Even though I don’t know McMillan personally, I do like his bluntness and he seems to demand a kind of respect from his players that can only come about via honesty and hard work.

As to just how blunt he is, I guess we’ll find out when he names his team for next weekend's Champions Cup game.