Munster coach Johan van Graan’s hopes to be part of a historic Rainbow Cup final against his old team, the Bulls, took a dent this past weekend when his team was upset by Connacht and Italian team Benetton forged four points clear at the top of the log.
The ink on the published announcement that plans were already well advanced for a North v South final, meaning a deciding game between the winner of the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup and the winner of Rainbow Cup SA, was scarcely dry on Friday when Van Graan’s team tripped up at their home ground of Thormond Park against their rival Irish province.
Munster, who beat Leinster on the opening weekend and were the early front-runners, started as favourites on the basis of their early competition form plus the big defeat suffered by Connacht against Leinster in the previous round. But Munster failed to pull off a trio of victories against fellow Irish provinces in a game that was physical and at times quite brutal and which swung on a couple of controversial refereeing decisions.
Although some of the Irish media felt that he might have something to complain about given the contentious points that cost his team the chance to go into the final two games with their fate in their own hands, the former Springbok and Bulls assistant coach refused to make excuses.
“Small margins in the game, one yellow card and one try meant we lost the game by four points. If one of those opportunities goes our way then we win the game,” said Van Graan.
“I am never going to make an excuse. I feel we were not good enough on the evening; well done to Connacht.”
Van Graan added that although it was getting tight in the battle to qualify to be the northern representative in the cross-hemisphere final, he will endeavour to use his squad to get the job done.
“We said there are lads who are going to get opportunities in the coming weeks and we are not going to change that because we lost to Connacht,” he said.
The defeat leaves Munster needing to win their remaining two games against Zebre and Cardiff while they will be requiring Benetton to trip up in one of their remaining games against Connacht at home and Ospreys away. While the South African teams play six league games, the northern teams play five.
Conor Fitzgerald, who can claim Munster as his home province as that was where he was born and educated, punished Munster to the tune of 14 points in a game that saw five tries scored - three from Connacht and two from Munster.
Meanwhile, on the same night Leinster, who many would have considered the favourites at the start of the competition, continued their recovery from their admittedly under-strength opening defeat to Munster by edging out Ulster in Dublin. On a weekend where there were several close games, both of the Friday night Irish derbies saw winning margins of just four points.
If the Munster game was considered an upset so too was the one-point win scored by visitors Cardiff Blues against Scarlets in Llanelli. It enables Cardiff to go into the last stage of the league phase of the competition level with Leinster and Connacht on nine points, five off the pace being set by Benetton and one behind Munster, Ospreys and Glasgow Warriors. However, of the three teams lumped together on 10 points, Munster has a significantly better points difference and that could be meaningful if teams finish tied at the top.
Benetton won their home derby against Zebre to move to 14 points and after Munster’s defeat, the Italian side is the only unbeaten team left in the northern competition. The Bulls are in a similar position in South Africa, with their thumping win over the Sharks in Pretoria on Saturday night maintaining their unbeaten record and putting them three points clear at the top of the southern log.
The Stormers kept their faint hopes alive by scoring an exciting after the hooter win over the Lions in Johannesburg in a high scoring game that could be typical of what visiting teams can expect on the highveld in the PRO16 that starts later in the year.
At this point the magnitude of their win over the Sharks coupled with their championship pedigree - they won both South African return to play competitions last season - means the Bulls look strong favourites to be the southern representatives in a Grand Final that is scheduled for an as yet unspecified venue somewhere in Europe on 19 June.
Weekend Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup Europe results
Munster 20-24 Connacht
Leinster 21-17 Ulster
Scarlets 28-29 Cardiff Blues
Benetton 34-27 Zebre
Edinburgh 24-31 Glasgow Warriors
Dragons 26-42 Ospreys