Munster Rugby 2021/2022 - Search for the Holy Grail

[ronk]

Ryan wins a scrum penalty despite collapsing. So next scrum he collapses again with the ref now on his side. Now Exeter go level for half time.

[ronk]

It was tough on Munster the way the quick penalty was allowed when the ref made life hard by the way he marked the spot.

Murray still had time to get back though. Should know better.

It was everyone. Kleyn even turned his back.

[ronk]

Is Zebo still sick? He's barely involved

[OTT]

Is Zebo still sick? He's barely involved

Elusive!

Show Spoiler:

He will probably score now

[ronk]

POM playing like he's Beirne.

If Munster could use the ball well they'd be out of sight.

[SoupyNorman]

Fereira certainly earned his wages. Not so sure about Larkham.

[wixfjord]

Gorgeous bit of skill from Zebo. Munster have clearly been the better side.

Exeter are so one dimensional it's incredible. They remind me of Biarritz back in the day.

[Laighin Break]

Kickable penalty with just under 15 mins to go and down 4 points (on aggregate) and Exeter chose to kick to touch. I thought they knew how to play knock out rugby

[IanD]

Fair play to Munster for the win.

But that was turgid stuff to watch - Exeter did nothing to improve the standard either - and neither Ulster in Belfast or Toulouse in Limerick will be all that worried.

[hugonaut]

Kickable penalty with just under 15 mins to go and down 4 points (on aggregate) and Exeter chose to kick to touch. I thought they knew how to play knock out rugby

Exeter's goal kicker Joe Simmonds - 0% success rate over the tie. Missed every kick he took at the posts in two games.

[cormac]

If Munster end up facing Toulouse at home in the quarter-finals, where will they play it? Thomond Park won't be available due to the Ed Sheeran gigs on the 5th and 6th of May.

[johng]

Sam Warburton seemed to indicate that it would be in Lansdowne rd whoever won the other game

[Ruckedtobits]

Exeter were toothless and a very long way from their PRL & EPCR winning form of two years ago. Munster disciplined overall and excellent in turnovers but their attacking edge is still fairly blunt. A good win for them and few will relish the prospect of meeting them - except Leinster.

[hugonaut]

Gorgeous bit of skill from Zebo. Munster have clearly been the better side.

Exeter are so one dimensional it's incredible. They remind me of Biarritz back in the day.

A big problem was that their gameplan didn't match their selection. They had a backrow weighing 117kg, 119kg and 125kg respectively, but they wanted to get to the edge on the openside off No10 a lot when they attacked. So they purposefully spread the ball really far away from their big pack, which struggled to get across the pitch.

Obviously they are also missing most of their best players: no Simmonds, Hill, Cowan-Dickie, Nowell [all Lions].

[wixfjord]

POM was absolutely brilliant for Munster. So many big moments.

[wixfjord]

If I'm Munster I think Ulster is the draw I'd want. Sure it's away but I think they're more likely to go to Ravers than beat Toulouse in the Aviva.

[ustix]

Sure it'll be great to just have another day out.

[ronk]

Gorgeous bit of skill from Zebo. Munster have clearly been the better side.

Exeter are so one dimensional it's incredible. They remind me of Biarritz back in the day.

A big problem was that their gameplan didn't match their selection. They had a backrow weighing 117kg, 119kg and 125kg respectively, but they wanted to get to the edge on the openside off No10 a lot when they attacked. So they purposefully spread the ball really far away from their big pack, which struggled to get across the pitch.

Obviously they are also missing most of their best players: no Simmonds, Hill, Cowan-Dickie, Nowell [all Lions].

JvG would have known what to do with backrow.

This was a good example of how mobility beats bulk.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Sure it'll be great to just have another day out.

[munster#1]

Absolutely delighted with todays result.
I was actually expecting Munster to lose that game, but not willing to admit it prior to the game.

Munster were bullied at the breakdown and scrum last week, and their discipline hampered them from mounting any real attavk.
This week Munster clearly put in a lot of work, and with the introduction of POM, they hammered Exeter in the line out.

Munster are a team at the very beginning of a belated rebuilding process, with a large number of players in todays squad not long out of the academy.
For those players to be involved in a 2 legged affair like this will really stand to them.

Next up is the greatest team to play in this competition, and reigning champs.
I would love to see Munster move this game a few hundred meters down the road to the Gaelic Grounds, but it is most likely to take place in the Aviva.
Ulster showed that Toulouse are far from invincible, but Munster will have to step things up a bit.

I hope that we have Killer, Beirne and Coombes back by then, as Munster will need them.