The 42 Reports from The Rec

Bath 40

Munster 14

WHEN MUNSTER JOGGED out in the teeming rain, their status as underdogs only solidified by the late loss of two starters, and with their impressive travelling support making a racket, the romantics among us wondered if this was going to be the kind of backs-against-the-wall story we’ve seen from the southern province many times before.

Those thoughts were short-lived. There was to be no romance for Munster.

They were up against the ropes for most of the first half, alright, but Bath were merciless in pummelling them over and over. Thereafter, the English side’s defence landed more heavy blows.

With out-half Jack Crowley having been ruled out during the week, Munster’s cause was not helped by losing big lock Jean Kleyn yesterday due to personal reasons, or by starting loosehead prop Michael Milne being injured during the warm-up.

But even so, Clayton McMillan must have been reeling at the manner in which Johann van Graan’s Bath dismantled his side in the opening quarter. The reigning English champions had a try-scoring bonus point wrapped up just 18 minutes and 18 seconds in.

This performance was a statement of Bath’s intent in the Champions Cup. With their enviably deep squad and fresh from winning the Premiership last season, van Graan’s men look like they mean business in this competition. There was more than a passing resemblance to Saracens in their pomp in this Bath display as they struck ruthlessly in the first half, then defended powerfully as they kept Munster scoreless in the second.

Munster skipper Tadhg Beirne was sin-binned in the first half. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO

In contrast, it’s a miserable start to Munster’s Champions Cup campaign and a second defeat in a row following last weekend’s home loss to the Stormers in the URC. McMillan’s side have plenty of hard work ahead of them in this competition, although they will back themselves to bounce back against Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh next weekend before Pool 2 clashes with Toulon and Castres in January.

They will regret their lineout woes at The Rec, which were so integral to Bath racing into the lead, while there was a wasteful edge to Munster’s work in the home side’s 22, with repeated turnovers there in stark contrast to Bath’s clinical edge.

The Munster lineout started disastrously, with Bath making four early steals there. Van Graan’s men were ruthless off the back of those turnovers, with brilliant scrum-half Ben Spencer kicking in behind the visitors before his pack took over and did serious damage.

A maul penalty try also saw Munster skipper Tadhg Beirne yellow-carded, with Bath number eight Miles Reid and wing Henry Arundell then scoring in that sin-bin period. Beirne returned, but Bath produced a hugely dominant scrum and followed it immediately with a maul score for hooker Tom Dunn.

It looked like game over and though Munster mounted a mini-fightback as the away fans in a 14,509 sell-out crowd roared them on, with lock Edwin Edogbo crossing from close range, the English side had their fifth try before the break as explosive loosehead prop Beno Obano barged over. That Obano’s try came when Bath were down to 14 men – with Will Stuart in the bin – made it hurt even more for McMillan’s men.

Munster did grab another of their own before half time as scrum-half Craig Casey sniped over, yet a 35-14 half-time deficit was nightmare stuff given the quality van Graan could call on from his bench.

It was a pleasing night for ex-Munster boss Johann van Graan. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO

McMillan didn’t hang around in changing his XV for the second half, with Michael Ala’alatoa sent on for his debut at tighthead, while Lee Barron and Alex Nankivell were also sprung from the bench.

A scrum penalty early on gave Munster initial hope but their five-metre lineout was picked off once again and swiftly followed by yet another handling error on a night that included too many of them, even acknowledging the rain.

The Irish province dominated possession for the remainder of the third quarter, including on another visit to within five metres of the Bath line, but they lost possession forward for the umpteenth time.

That was the cue for van Graan to unleash the Bath Bomb Squad, with former Leinster lock Ross Molony sent on for ex-Ireland second row Quinn Roux, and though they had to continue the theme of long passages of defence, they continued to hold Munster at bay.

And they finished with a flourish off yet another defensive turnover, Finn Russell’s cross kick sending Joe Cokanasiga thundering down the right wing before the outstanding Spencer offloaded inside for sub back row Ted Hill to finish.

Bath scorers:

Tries: Penalty try, Miles Reid, Henry Arundell, Tom Dunn, Beno Obano, Ted Hill

Conversions: Finn Russell [4 from 5]

Munster scorers:

Tries: Edwin Edogbo, Craig Casey

Conversions: JJ Hanrahan [2 from 2]

BATH: Tom de Glanville (Santi Carreras ’63); Joe Cokanasiga, Max Ojomoh, Cameron Redpath, Henry Arundell; Finn Russell, Ben Spencer (captain) (Tom Carr-Smith ‘); Beno Obano (Francois van Wyk ’63), Tom Dunn (Kepu Tuipulotu ’63), Will Stuart (yellow card ’30) (Thomas du Toit ’50); Quinn Roux (Ross Molony ’63), Charlie Ewels; Josh Bayliss (Ted Hill 63′), Guy Pepper (Sam Underhill ‘HT), Miles Reid (Thomas du Toit ’32 to ’40).

MUNSTER: Shane Daly; Diarmuid Kilgallen (Alex Nankivell ‘HT), Tom Farrell, Dan Kelly, Thaakir Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey  (Ethan Coughlan ’72); Jeremy Loughman (Josh Wycherley ’60), Diarmuid Barron (Lee Barron ‘HT), John Ryan (Michael Ala’alatoa ‘HT); Edwin Edogbo (Ruadhán Quinn ’54), Tom Ahern; Tadhg Beirne (captain) (yellow card ’6), John Hodnett (Alex Kendellen ’50), Gavin Coombes (Fineen Wycherley ’66 (Edwin Edogbo ’68)).

Referee: Jeremy Rozier [FFR].

Written by Murray Kinsella and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.