New Zealander Clayton McMillan’s Munster tenure began with an impressive 34-21 bonus-point victory over Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday evening, extending their winning streak against the Welsh side to eight consecutive matches. Despite a spirited second-half fightback from the hosts, Munster’s clinical attack, water-tight defence and powerful forwards proved too much as they secured maximum points to start their United Rugby Championship campaign.
Key moments:
9′ – Craig Casey scores opening try from close range after lineout maul, JJ Hanrahan converts (0-7)
22′ – JJ Hanrahan kicks penalty (0-10)
28′ – JJ Hanrahan kicks penalty (0-13)
Half-time: 0-13
42′ – Mike Haley crosses for try following Jack Crowley’s introduction, Jack Crowley converts (0-20)
47′ – Blair Murray scores Scarlets’ first try after Sam Costelow break, Sam Costelow converts (7-20)
58′ – Dan Kelly scores on debut from Alex Nankivell’s no-look pass, Jack Crowley converts (7-27)
63′ – Ellis Mee pounces on Gareth Davies’ kick through for Scarlets’ second try, Sam Costelow converts (14-27)
68′ – Tom Ahern powers over for Munster’s bonus-point try, Jack Crowley converts (14-34)
75′ – Taine Plumtree intercepts Paddy Patterson pass for late Scarlets consolation, Joe Hawkins converts (21-34)
The visitors dominated the first half with their superior organisation and defensive structure, taking a 13-0 lead into the break. Despite Scarlets showing signs of life in the second period, scoring three tries of their own, Munster’s class ultimately told with five tries, including a debut score for summer signing Dan Kelly and an eye-catching performance from man of the match Alex Nankivell.
The win gives McMillan, who oversaw the Chiefs’ run to three Super Rugby finals in four years during his tenure in New Zealand, the perfect start since joining the province in July.
Munster started with purpose and intensity, quickly establishing territorial dominance through their powerful pack. Captain Craig Casey, taking the armband in the absence of Tadhg Beirne, led from the front, delivering the opening try in the 9th minute after a well-executed lineout maul provided the platform for the scrum-half to side-step his way past a Scarlets defender. JJ Hanrahan added the conversion for an early 7-0 lead.
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A quick tap from Casey got Munster on the front foot when awarded a penalty in their own half. Good play from Thaakir Abrahams and Casey again brought play deep into the 22, but Fineen Wycherley was penalised for rolling on the ground when tackled just short of the line.
The visitors continued to control proceedings, with their defensive line speed stifling Scarlets’ attacking threats. Abrahams almost got over in the corner with an acrobatic effort but was pushed into touch following a superb pass from Mike Haley. Hanrahan extended the lead with two penalties in the 22nd and 28th minutes, making it 13-0 at half-time after Munster weathered a brief period of pressure from the hosts.
The Welsh side almost hit back when Josh Macleod broke through the Munster defence, but a brilliant covering tackle from Jack O’Donoghue dislodged the ball with the line at the Scarlets captain’s mercy.
McMillan made a crucial change at the interval, bringing Jack Crowley on for Hanrahan, and the impact was immediate. Within two minutes of the restart, Crowley orchestrated a brilliant move, producing a lovely skip pass to Abrahams before collecting the ball again as the South African flyer went up the wing. Crowley then offloaded to Haley who touched down next to the posts. The Innishannon native’s conversion made it 20-0, and Munster seemed to be cruising.
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Scarlets finally sparked into life when Sam Costelow broke through a gap between Wycherley and O’Donoghue before feeding Blair Murray, who fended off Abrahams to score next to the posts. Costelow converted to reduce the deficit to 20-7.
The momentum briefly shifted before Munster reasserted their dominance. Off a scrum, the visitors went down the short side where Abrahams was on the receiving end of a high tackle. With the advantage, Alex Nankivell, who was outstanding throughout, accelerated through a gap before producing a delightful no-look offload to debutant Dan Kelly who scored his first try for the province. Crowley’s conversion pushed the score to 27-7.
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Scarlets refused to surrender and were rewarded when Ellis Mee pounced on a kick through from Gareth Davies after Mike Haley misjudged the bounce. Costelow’s conversion made it 27-14, giving the home crowd renewed hope.
Any thoughts of a comeback were extinguished when Tom Ahern, who had replaced Jean Kleyn, powered over for Munster’s fourth try to secure the bonus point. The try came after a number of excellent carries from Munster players with clinical clear-outs giving the visitors clean ball. Nankivell was again instrumental, trucking the ball up before Casey found Ahern who powered through to score. Crowley’s conversion made it 34-14 with ten minutes remaining.
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The hosts had the final say when Taine Plumtree intercepted Paddy Patterson’s pass to race under the posts for a consolation try in the 75th minute, with Hawkins adding the conversion to bring the final score to 34-21. With the rain teeming down late on, Scarlets pushed for another score that would have secured them two bonus points, but Munster’s defence held firm.
Alex Nankivell was deservedly named BKT Player of the Match, with the New Zealand-born centre proving a constant threat with ball in hand. His offloading game and ability to break the gain line created multiple scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Debutant Dan Kelly made an immediate impression in the Munster midfield, combining well with Nankivell and capping his performance with a well-taken try. The former Leicester centre showed why McMillan was keen to bring him to Thomond Park.
For Scarlets, Sam Costelow provided glimpses of his talent, particularly in creating their first try with a fine break through the Munster defence. Ellis Mee and Taine Plumtree also impressed with their opportunism for the Scarlets’ second and third tries respectively.
In the forwards, Brian Gleeson had an impressive outing for Munster before being replaced by Gavin Coombes, making several barnstorming runs including one from his own 22 that saw him bounce a number of tacklers before taking play deep into Scarlets territory. Jack O’Donoghue produced a try-saving tackle on Josh Macleod that typified Munster’s defensive determination.
There was a moment of concern in the 36th minute when Dan Kelly’s high tackle on Macs Page was reviewed by the TMO. After deliberation, the referee decided against a yellow card for the Munster debutant, much to the frustration of the home crowd.
Niall Scannell, making his 200th appearance for Munster, was forced off with an injury in the 36th minute, a potential concern for McMillan as the season gets underway.
The introduction of Jack Crowley at half-time transformed Munster’s attacking shape, raising questions about whether he should have started ahead of the experienced JJ Hanrahan, who is in his third stint with the province.
Scarlets were dealt pre-match blows with the late withdrawal of loosehead Kemsley Mathias and second row Sam Lousi. Prop Alec Hepburn and Max Douglas, for his first game since March, were drafted into the starting XV, adding to their selection challenges with both their experienced hookers already unavailable.
This opening victory gives new head coach Clayton McMillan an ideal start to his Munster tenure. The performance demonstrated that despite losing experienced players like Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer during the off-season, there remains significant quality in this Munster squad.
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For Scarlets, there are positives to take from their second-half performance, but coach Dwayne Peel will be concerned about their slow start and defensive frailties. The pre-match reshuffles added to their selection challenges, but they showed resilience to push for bonus points late in the game.
The victory extends Munster’s impressive record against Scarlets and gives them early momentum in the United Rugby Championship. They’ll now look forward to welcoming Cardiff to Thomond Park next Saturday in their first home fixture of the season.
Scarlets: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Joe Hawkins, Ellis Mee; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Harry Thomas, Henry Thomas, Max Douglas, Jake Ball, Tristan Davies, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree.
Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Sam O’Connor, Harri O’Connor, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Dane Blacker, Johnny Williams, Macs Page.
Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey (capt); Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, Conor Bartley, Tom Ahern, Gavin Coombes, Paddy Patterson, Jack Crowley, Seán O’Brien.
