"It's in our own hands still' - Munster maintain playoff target after Cardiff slip
AT FULL-TIME at the Arms Park on Friday night, the narrative seemed simple. Munster looked assured with 15 men on the pitch but at sea when down to 14.
Of Cardiff's four tries, three came while either Fineen Wycherley or Jack O'Donoghue was in the sin bin. The other came from the penalty try infringement which saw the latter sent for a 10-minute breather. By contrast, when a full strength Munster worked up the pitch, they were efficient, notching three points for each of their seven 22 entries.
Ian Costello, Munster's interim head coach, was in no mood for straightforward narratives. Immediately after full-time, other failings, alongside discipline, stuck in his craw. 'Our performance wasn't good enough,' he said.
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'Our lineout still didn't function as well as we would have liked. Our kicking game, which is usually a big factor in momentum, we didn't win the aerial battle tonight. I thought Cardiff were excellent in the air.
'We kicked some balls in the second half that we didn't give ourselves the best opportunity to get back. Ideally we keep the ball on the pitch a bit more tonight, because we were under pressure we were forced to kick off the pitch.'
The set piece once again hampered a Munster side whose forwards coach, Alex Codling, continues to double job with the Ireland women's side. Against Bordeaux, a 62 per cent lineout success rate crippled their attack. On Friday, while all three Munster tries came from throws in the 22, Munster secured just 64 per cent of their own lineout ball.
Victory could have seen the province move from seventh to fifth. Instead, travelling back to Limerick with just a losing bonus point means they'll be lucky to end the weekend still in the top eight, by Costello's own admission.
The final games against Ulster and Benetton at home look eminently winnable. Now, Munster appear to have little choice. Lest the unthinkable happen, a URC knockout phase without the 2023 champions. Not to mention new boss Clayton McMillan arriving to a club no longer playing Champions Cup rugby.
'From our point of view, everything we can, we have to be in the playoffs,' acknowledged Costello. 'We know how important it is to the club, for the players. There will be no stone left unturned around making sure we get what we need out of the last two games.
'The positive, the only positive, is it's in our own hands still. But we have to win.'
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