Ian Costello hails Tom Farrell’s hat-trick heroics on a mixed night for Munster

“Loads to concern ourselves with around the performance to improve on, but loads to love about the character, the belief in the squad to score some cracking tries.”
Ian Costello praised Tom Farrell’s hat-trick heroics in Belfast, but the interim coach was forced to take the rough with the smooth as Munster defeated URC rivals Ulster 22-19.

Farrell’s three tries and overall performance earned him the man of the match award. The centre, a close-season signing from Connacht, finished third, wiping out a 19-15 home lead to give the visitors a bonus-point win at Kingspan Stadium that had barely seemed possible after a first half of terrible, error-filled rugby from both sides.

Ulster led 7-5 at halftime, with Farrell scoring his first try of the night 20 minutes after Tom O’Toole’s opening touchdown, which was converted by John Cooney.

However, the first period was dominated by poor discipline, with Ulster losing O’Toole to a red card on 31 minutes for a collision at a ruck that left Farrell’s midfield partner Alex Nankivell hobbling out of the game after the Ireland prop flopped onto the Munster back’s exposed leg as he clamped down over the ball.

The second half was much more open and thrilling, with Farrell scoring his second shortly after the restart, Ulster responding through replacement forward Harry Sheridan on 64 minutes, and Munster regaining the lead two minutes later through wing Shane Daly.

The home side rallied, with flanker James McNabney pulling them back in front with five minutes remaining, and Cooney’s conversion opened a four-point advantage in the dying minutes, only for Farrell to steal the show and maximum match points at the death.

Jack Crowley’s conversion was the game’s final action, as Munster went over Ulster in the URC standings, moving from 11th to fifth before of Saturday’s round-eight games.

“A cracking finish, it’s a very difficult place to come and win, never mind coming out of here with five points,” interim head coach Costello said.

“I can’t express enough how valuable Tom has been to us this season. He has played so many minutes.

“We were joking that he had already played his quota for last season, and we aren’t even halfway through. He’s been fantastic on and off the field, but this was unquestionably his best on-field effort.”

However, the concession of 15 penalties and a second-half yellow card for replacement back Rory Scannell, a week after conceding 17 in the Champions Cup pool defeat at Castres, as well as a string of unforced errors, made life extremely difficult for Munster, as Costello admitted as he turned his attention to next Friday’s post-Christmas derby against league leaders Leinster at a sold-out Thomond Park.

“There’s a lot to work on in terms of performance, but there’s a lot to like in the character and the squad’s belief in scoring some great tries. Especially the one at the end.

“We have a lengthy bus ride home, but I doubt I’ll glance at it.

“It was about the outcome tonight, us vs them. They and we also suffered injuries, so attrition was unavoidable. We’re quite disappointed with how much pressure we put ourselves under.

“A lot of it was down to our execution, or lack thereof, in terms of how we exited our own 22.

“We had some big defensive sets, followed by one or two weaker ones, which allowed them to enter again. That’s what we need to look at. As the season progresses, that will penalize us, but we will find a balance with the positives.

“There was some outstanding attacking rugby once we settled into our rhythm, and we’ll focus on that and enjoy that for 48 hours and then prepare for a pretty big one next week as well.”

 

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