SMARTING Munster Rugby must switch their focus for a crucial URC interprovincial derby with Ulster in Belfast on Friday evening, a week after the side’s frustrating Investec Champions Cup defeat to Castres Olympique in France.
Error-strewn Munster suffered a frustrating 16-14 defeat to Castres Olympique in their second pool fixture of this season’s Investec Champions Cup at Stade Pierre Fabre on Friday night.
Munster now have six points in the pool standings following their opening weekend bonus point win over Stade Francais.
The defeat to Castres also came at an additional cost as scrum-half Craig Casey limped out of the action with an injury and the Ireland international could be seen on crutches with his right knee in a brace on the sidelines at full-time.
Peter O’Mahony, Dian Bleuler, Thaakir Abrahams and Dave Kilcoyne also departed with knocks and Munster will be hoping that the injury update on the players is positive with a demanding schedule of both URC and Investec Champions Cup games in store in the coming weeks.
Munster’s URC opponents on Friday, Ulster, suffered a heavy 40-19 defeat to an impressive Bordeaux Begles side in the Champions Cup at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday evening.
Reflecting on Munster’s defeat in Castres on Friday, the province’s interim head coach Ian Costello said: “Disappointed, particularly with the first half.
“We overplayed in our own half and put ourselves under pressure and then we kicked away ball which is unlike us and we thought we had them under pressure, so probably fortunate to be 10-7 down at half-time.
“But that probably gave us a lot of belief and a lot of trust to go out in the second and go after it. Some parts of the second half were a lot better but when you give away 17 penalties which we did tonight and our scrum was under pressure, they were able to dictate where the game was played and probably to sum it up I suppose we had a good crack at the end, as always you expect that out of the lads, the character was through the roof, but couldn’t quite get into field position to get that last score.
“Europe is a stand-alone competition, tonight was about trying to get a big win away from home.
“We got five points at home (v Stade Francais) and we managed to get a point tonight. It feels pretty hollow at the moment, but that could be very important come the later stages of the group.
“We have seven days to prep for Ulster . It’s all about the URC. Ulster are above us in the table, we’ll have to go after them.
“Tonight, disappointed that elements of our performance let us down.”
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
