Following Munster’s narrow 35-33 victory over Connacht, an exhilarating match that spurred their season into action with a crowd of 15,705 present on a fine evening at Thomond Park, Graham Rowntree, the primary coach, expressed his dominant sentiment was “relief”. He confessed, “It was crucial for us to win that match. Our determination to keep going… Blimey, Connacht played tremendously well. I mentioned to Pete [Wilkins] their physicality, their approach, their attacking techniques and getting to the field’s edges. They indeed performed well.
“We also had to demonstrate excellent play. Early tries by them, like the one where Craig Casey was beaten at the scrum’s side, do not happen frequently. “However, relief is what I felt, and I’m pleased with how we hung in there throughout the game.
As the match neared its conclusion, Rowntree reflected on the importance of those successful “clutch kicks” by Butler, revealing that he’d detest doing that regularly, but proud of the player’s efforts. He had a constructive discussion acknowledging the need for defensive improvement in that area.
One major concern for Rowntree was the debilitating shoulder injury encountered by Billy Burns during his first appearance.”
Head coach of Connacht, Pete Wilkins, expressed his disappointment at what he described as a “difficult loss to digest”. He noted, however, that the team had offered a strong performance, saying, “It wasn’t unexpected, the level of energy, physicality, and determination we demonstrated in all aspects of our game”. This level of play, he further stated, had been the goal in their recent preparations and reflected the team’s growth over the past 10 weeks.
Wilkins confessed to the team’s failure in seizing the opportunities it had created, but suggested there were valuable lessons and positive aspects that needed acknowledgment. These positive elements, he posited, had propelled the team forwards throughout the current season, making the loss even more frustrating.
Discussing the team’s strong points, Wilkins remarked: “Our defence demonstrated strength and physicality, which was inconsistent last year. Our new additions, Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy, Piers O’Conor, gave standout performances. The fact that we kept pace with Munster at Thomond Park was praiseworthy.” He went on to express the team’s aspirations of achieving more than just gallant losses, particularly this season.
For Wilkins, there are enough grounds for optimism and elements to work on. As for Shayne Bolton, Connacht’s winger who was taken out in the 34th minute, the preliminary outlook is hopeful. Wilkins stated, “He’s doing alright. He received a cut to his knee. The initial hope was to put stitches and let him continue playing, but given the injury’s location, it was feared the wound might keep reopening. Regrettably, his exceptional talent could have made a difference today.”
With respect to Billy, Wilkins stated that they would be providing an update by Monday after his scan results are in, hinting that there’s no doubt he has an AC joint injury.