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A pod too far
Details
Ulster vs Munster
Ravenhill
Friday September 14th 2012
Rabo Direct Pro12
The Team
Munster: D Hurley, D Howlett, C Laulala, J Downey, L O’Dea, I Keatley, D Williams, D Kilcoyne, D Varley, BJ Botha, Donncha O’Callaghan, B Holland, Dave O’Callaghan, S Dougall, J Coughlan. Replacements: K Earls for O’Dea (25 mins), T O’Donnell for Coughlan (38 mins), C Murray for Williams, M Sherry for Varley (both 52 mins), M Horan for Kilcoyne (61 mins), S Archer for Botha (68), R O’Gara for Laulala (70 mins), Sin bin: Dougall (55 mins).
Setting the scene
Its September 2012 and Rob Penney is settling into his new role as head coach with Munster. He has Anthony Foley as forwards coach and Simon Mannix as backs coach. While Foley is there to maintain the traditional Munster link and values its fair to say that Penneys remit was to bring change. That change didn't sit well with everyone though.
Penney's attacking style was progressive with excellent handling, ability to read situations and playing heads up rugby a must. He wanted a 2-4-2 split with his forwards. Both of the 2 pods were to stay within the 15m tramlines to stretch the defensive line and offer power and protection when the ball came towards the touchline. The pod of 4 in the middle was to sit in front of the backline and offer power runners or a pull back option to the backs.
Implementing a new system that saw a locks hanging about on the wing waiting for the ball in the tramlines was too much for some fans and pundits. The move away from the traditional kick and clap, maul and tight driving play scared a lot of people. Penney was too open in his thoughts and spoke publicly on the requirement to upskill even the international players to play his style and get them integrated into a heads up rugby system. It didn't take long for pundits with their own agendas to start sharpening their knives.
The Game
The match itself wasn't very memorable. Munster took a half time lead through Ian Keatleys boot and a Keith Earls try. Ulster fought back through the boot of Paddy Jackson and a try from Jared Payne to win 20-19.
The Moment
Its the 37th minute and Munster lead 9-6. Munster have secured a ruck by the right hand touchline just inside the Ulster half. Williams swings a pass to Keatley at outhalf. Keatley ignores the option of a short pop ball to Kilcoyne and Botha who are in the pod of 4 forwards in midfield. He also ignores the short ball to Downey who is just behind them. He instead gives a skip pass to Earls who has popped up in midfield.
Earls has space and time on the ball and eyes a gap between Luke Marshall and Jared Payne. He steps into the gap and commits Marshall, who is drifting from the original ruck on the right, to the tackle. Although Marshall completes the tackle, Earls step has also drawn Payne into the tackle area as well.
Earls, offloads out of the tackle to Billy Holland, who along with James Coughlan are the two man pod on the left side of the field. Holland carries it past the Ulster 10 metre line and passes to Coughlan who switches his line to run back infield towards the Ulster cover. Holland, Botha and Downey arrive instantly as Coughlan goes to ground. The ruck is secured just outside the Ulster 22 on the left side of the pitch.
Munster have swept from one side of the field to the other and gone from the half way line to the 22 with relative easy. Williams arrives as the Munster midfield resets itself. He spins the ball to Keatley at out half. Keatley has the pod of forwards, Dave O'Callaghan, Dougal and Kilcoyne, waiting for the power carry in midfield. Keatley gives the ball to Kilcoyne, who receives a call from Earls behind him. Kilcoyne gives the pull back pass to Earls who once again has time and space to work in.
Earls gives a lovely 15 yard pass right in front of Laulala who spots that he has two Ulster forwards, Doyle and Afoa, in front of him. He carries the ball forward and commits both Doyle and Afoa to the tackle. Laulala offloads to Howlett, who under pressure shows great hands to take the ball and pass it one motion to the onrushing Denis Hurley. Howlett's catch and pass has committed Jared Payne and Hurley just glides into the Ulster 22 unopposed.
Hurley, has a pod of the two forwards, Sherry and Donnacha O'Callaghan, on his outside running tight to the right touchline. Doyle, the Ulster openside has run a great line to track Hurley, but Hurley fires a pass inside to Earls who strolls over the try line to score.
While Earls scored the try, the pass could easily have gone to either Laulala or Howlett who both continued their runs and were right with Earls when he received the pass from Hurley. Also there just behind Hurley when he released the pass were Sherry and Donnacha O'Callaghan who could have received the pop pass from the ground or secured the ruck if required.
This pod system and style of play showed what was possible under Penney. This was admittedly an early season league game but the ease with which Munster moved the ball from touchline to touchline, creating space, securing the breakdown and showing the skills and intent to keep the ball moving was so promising.
Penney eventually had to temper his plans for attacking patterns. He used the league to experiment but when it came it Europe he went back to a more forward oriented gameplan which brought success in terms of making the knockouts but not a final appearance.
This try always sparks one of the great "What if" Munster questions for me. What would have happened if Munster had stuck with this more fluid attacking style.
The Try