Irish Provinces Review after Week Eleven of Guinness Pro 12
Week 11 of the Guinness Pro 12 took place last weekend and saw all four provinces face off against each other. Munster beat Leinster comfortably at Thomond Park while Ulster beat Connacht at the Kingspan Stadium. Here is the review for the Irish Provinces after Week Eleven of the Guinness Pro 12.
Munster
Munster completed their first home and away win double over Leinster in five years with a comfortable 28-13 win over their fiercest rivals. Tries from CJ Stander, Andrew Conway and Dave O’Callaghan secured the win for Anthony Foley’s side.
From early on in the game it was clear that Munster were the better side with Ian Keatley arguably having his best game in a red jersey. Playing into a strong wind into the first half, his tactical kicking helped the home team dominate territory.
The only thing that soured the result slightly was the failure to secure a try bonus point. A few controversial decisions in the final ten minutes by referee Nigel Owens infuriated the home fans but will be more than happy with the final result. Next up is another derby, this time against Connacht in the Sportsground on New Year’s Day.
Leinster:
The pressure on Matt O’Connor increased after defeat to bitter rivals Munster last Friday. His Leinster side put in a way below par performance in a game they should have been well up for. Another defeat against Ulster this weekend could seal O’Connor’s fate.
Leinster had a strong breeze in the first 40 minutes but they didn’t use it as their hosts won the territorial battle. The only players that came out with any credit on the night for the away side were Ian Madigan, who was always trying to punch holes in the opposition defence, Dave Kearney, Jack Conan and Zane Kirchner.
A big worry for Leinster would be their forward pack’s inability to put any pressure Munster at set piece time or in general play. The front row was second best in the scrum and second rows were very much second best. Ulster will be looking to exploit these areas in the other Pro 12 Irish derby at the RDS this weekend.
Ulster
Craig Gilroy’s first half try was enough to hold off a strong Connacht performance at the Kingspan Stadium last Friday. A three point winning margin in poor conditions was just about what Ulster deserved in a game played in extremely in poor conditions.
Paddy Jackson added eight points to go with Gilroy’s try but Connacht fought back in the second half with a try from Aly Muldowney. In truth, this was a poor game with Rory McIlroy showing off the Open Championship Claret Jug with Neil Diamond’s classic “Sweet Caroline” playing on the PA system providing the most entertaining moment of the night.
Despite their indifferent form, Ulster will go to the RDS this Saturday believing they can overturn Leinster on their own turf despite having lost to them on their last three meetings. The Connacht win put Ulster back in the Pro 12 top 4 and they will be hoping to stay there beyond this weekend.
Connacht
Connacht managed to secure a losing bonus point against Ulster thanks to Aly Muldowney’s late try. In a game played in poor conditions, Connacht put in a huge effort and were left a little disappointed to only come away with the one point.
Pat Lam bemoaned some refereeing decisions by John Lacey but his focus will immediately turn to Munster’s visit to the Sportsground on New Year’s Day. Connacht put a major emphasis on their home games against their provincial rivals and there is no doubt that Munster are in for a testing game.
Connacht have not lost at home all season but have only beaten Munster once in their last 41 encounters. That win came on the 28th December 2008 and the home side will be looking for a repeat of that victory this Thursday.
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