CJ Stander has described Munster’s 25-14 Guinness PRO12 defeat to Leinster this afternoon as a “reality check” ahead of the province’s opening Champions Cup engagement away to Racing 92 next week, writes Brendan O’Brien of the Irish Examiner.
The Rassie Erasmus era had delivered four wins and just one defeat prior to this derby encounter but the southern province fell away disappointingly after the interval and left Dublin with no points and numerous regrets.
Chief among them were the ease with which they gifted Leinster the first and third tries to Isa Nacewa and Jamison Gibson-Park while the second – also claimed by Nacewa – came via an unpunished forward pass by Rob Kearney.
Erasmus refused to lean on the failings of the officials, or accept that this was a step up in intensity beyond his side, preferring instead to turn the spotlight on a visiting team that had claimed the game’s first try through Peter O’Mahony.
“If you give a try away from a scrum, first phase, and you give another try on the platter from knocking on a ball against a quality side like Leinster you are probably going to lose the game by fourteen points,” Erasmus said.
“So it was definitely intensity-wise a step up but the mistakes we made were simple errors. It wasn’t like it was a hell of a move off the scrum or a great attacking kick which we gave the fourteen points away.
“But we made those errors, they didn’t.”
Stander admitted that the next week will be one backdropped by “bitterness” at this defeat but there was at least comforting news in the initial injury updates after a handful of key players were replaced with knocks.
As planned, O’Mahony added 40 minutes to the 19 banked the week before against Zebre on his return from long-term injury, while both Keith Earls and David Kilcoyne reportedly responded well after being taken off for head injuries.
Leo Cullen didn’t even have that much to report.
No obvious injury concerns was another bonus on a day that saw Robbie Henshaw made his long-awaited debut in a blue shirt due to long-term fitness injuries of his own since a summer arrival from Connacht.
Henshaw wore 12 and partnered Garry Ringrose in the Leinster midfield and the pair combined effectively even if the latter was uncharacteristic in knocking on a simple take with the Munster line in sight.
Cullen was asked if the Henshaw/Ringrose act was one that Joe Schmidt may trial in the near future with the national selection but the Leinster coach gave a typically measured answer in reply to that.
“Last week we had Noel (Reid) and Rory O’Loughlin in the midfield and I thought they did really well against Cardiff so (there are) interesting discussions that we will have as coaches. They are putting their hand up anyway.
“I obviously can’t say what the Irish management are going to do but there is some reasonable calls for us in how we utilise the players for the threats that Castres and Montpellier pose.”
