Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Munster beat Brive in Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final tryfest

Friday, April 15, 2011

Munster beat Brive in Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final tryfest

Munster came away 42-37 winners over Brive in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final on the weekend, one of the more entertaining European games of the round. It's been highly requested, so here's the tries from the match.

Th visitors flew off into the lead with a great start, but Brive came back well and it soon became clear that both sides were out to play, in perfect conditions at the Stadium Municipal Amedee Domenech in France.

Munster scored five tries in total, to the four of Brive, and played some highly attractive rugby with Keith Earls and Doug Howlett in particular both showing how lethal they can on the front foot, in open space. They each scored two, while replacement scrumhalf Peter Stringer picked up a try of his own.

Ronan O'Gara kicked the rest of the points, 17 in total, while Brive came back admirably at the end with tries to Alexis Palisson and Shaun Perry. A dramatic finish wasn't on the cards though, as Munster held on for the win.

"The intercept from Palisson really hurt us around the 70-minute mark. That gave them a great springboard into the game and then they had the fortitude and the courage to keep coming back at us, which we knew they would," said coach Tony McGahan.

"We certainly recognise, playing French sides, that you need to make sure you're in front on the scoreboard to not give them any hope. You saw how the game ebbed and flowed, and how they played when they were in front and when they were behind. So we needed to be a little bit more clinical, more on our defence obviously."

Munster will face Harlequins next in the semi final.

Time: 05:14

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By Unknown, at April 15, 2011 2:23 pm
think this was a poor match!! no intensity and poor defense! the tries were all soft! i would way prefer to watch a match with intensity dram but not just a try fest that came to easy! think quins could win in the semi don't think munster rate them at all!!

By rick, at April 15, 2011 2:31 pm
Sorry but what a rubbish comment mate, would you rather a cagey game that ended in 12-9? Some people are never satisfied.

By SpencaH, at April 15, 2011 2:43 pm
great northern hemisphere defence i see lol

By hypocrites, at April 15, 2011 2:46 pm
haha "hypocrites" too right!! Northern Hemisphere finally doing some attacking and opening up usually solid defences and what do the supporters say? Not wow what a great high scoring close game with some great counter attack rugby........but winge winge winge! Go back to the training grounds and practice your boring cross-field kicks then!!!

By SpencaH, at April 15, 2011 2:50 pm
I love a match like this, when backs bring in most of the points. Howlett and Earls, oh yeahhhh!

By javier, at April 15, 2011 2:51 pm
to rick,

are u joking?
it was a fantastic game between 2 teams which played free-rugby because their season is nearly finished. Brive is lost in the center of top14, Munster is out of Hcup and already qualified for the next.

some defence mistakes but great ambition from both sides.
was it a knock-on at the end? Pearson must had caught a sunstroke :)

By Colombes, at April 15, 2011 3:01 pm
no but look at the leinster munster match the week before one try but edge of the seat stuff!!! i like tries but if they are easy they loose value like a shoot em up if its all action and no story line its crap same with rugby !!!

By rick, at April 15, 2011 3:03 pm
This game had intensity all right. That Brive comeback had me kakking myself as a Munster fan. Great stuff, both sides made this a match. Brive lack the European expereince Munster have and went down about 14 points after half time. Something you cant do in the QF's of the Amlin or HC.

By Tony Buckleys Toe Nail, at April 15, 2011 3:10 pm
Ok tits, lets look at the scores:

Howletts first: Big break made by howlett due to the inside man being outrun by him, and the outside man doing what any player is supposed to do and not go inside.... then there is a scrabble defence that goes to pot and it can be argued a 'bad defence'

Earls First try: Outside man comes in to take the player, who offloads to earls who then exploits that massive gap shrugs off a tackle and then beats the man on the outside.

Brive First try: A case of an overlap, any team can have one and any team can be screwed by one. Take nothing from the try however that was an easy case of offloading well and beating the defence in front because they dont have the numbers.

Brive Second try: A case of terrible defence by munster (much like what the NH supporters highlight in SH games) 1 player tramples through 3 or 4 or more tackles when the defence should be at its best (right after the set piece!)

Howlett second try: Brive attacking loses the ball, this means all of a sudden they are defending, their line is in disarray and there is no way that can close the gaps that the international players Earls and Howlett learn to exploit.

Earls second try: prime example of 'kick it properly.' This was a loose kick which lead to the brive defence once again being out of place. a munster player went through a second row which is not exactly 'great defence' i must admit....

Stringer try: I wouldnt call this great attacking or poor defending, this comes under 'one of those things' However Munster did show good awareness to chase the kick (rather than how Brive attacked in Earls second try, no one followed up and gave munster all the room!)

Brive third try?: Another 'one of those things'...intercept try, not the best defence technique from brive to come out of the line, however it paid off and they got a try...nothing could be done by munster

Brive 4th try: ummm good try?! tbh, im not really sure what went right or wrong there....

Basically my point is most of these try's were down to exploitation of large gaps rather than hideously poor tackling. Im not the type of NH supporter that hates SH rugby.....I know good rugby when i see it, and i also know the conditions in which teams are bred also create different styles of play. I grew up playing in hail, rain and mud, every game, with the exception of the first 2 and probably the last 2.. when summer or spring actually came about... i know for a fact this does not promote running rugby, i also have many SH friends who say they found it hard playing in the NH because of pitch conditions etc...

What most NH trolls bitch about is when they see cases like Brives second try for every single Super rugby try...bad tackling...where a player blitzs through 3 or 4 players who should have just held on...

By Sam, at April 15, 2011 3:18 pm
Im with the comment above mine.

Brive supporters must have thought 'OH FFS were being dicked. oh wait, maybe just maybe...ahhhh crap'

Munster supporters must have thought 'OH great, brive are being dicked, oh wait, uh oh uh oh, ahhh phew'

Youre only on the edge of your seat if you have something to gain or lose from a match...if you are a TRUE neutral then on the edge of your seat doesnt happen. your appreciation for good rugby is still there. But unless you want munster or brive to win, then you wont be on the edge of your seat....

By Sam, at April 15, 2011 3:22 pm
Bang on Sam, exactly right. This is the first I have seen of this game, but it looked an absolute cracker. Hopefully the Scarlets can put in an admirable performance this Saturday against Munster.

By Anonymous, at April 15, 2011 4:01 pm
Bad NH defence??? Do ye watch S15 at all, its all attack and no defence! Look at the results!

By Anonymous, at April 15, 2011 4:38 pm
This match proves my point - don't be hypocrites and praise this high scoring 'thriller', but then slate Super 15 matches that are similar in nature! It's double standards.

A true rugby fan will enjoy both and appreciate the attacking flair on show.

Thanks for the highlights RD. Howlett still looks good!

By Laz, at April 15, 2011 5:38 pm
Where is the knock-on that ends the match ???

By D0m3, at April 15, 2011 6:03 pm
chill folks chill. This match is relevant for that great (grate) NH SH debate, but for all our sakes, we need to be a little cautious/subtle/nuanced. That discussion usually goes arseways on here, and everywhere for that matter.

Anyhoo, yes it was fast and open on a dry pitch in good weather, Yes Howlett and Mafi revelled in it.

@sam: good try by try analysis!

More on the actual match would be great too....

For me, Jones and Murry (tall #9) look v good for Munster, and were good in this one too: hope for the future.

Earls v much back on form too. Howlett is finally getting used properly.

By popup, at April 15, 2011 6:07 pm
do you NH idiots still say the SH has bad defense AFTER WATCHING A SUPER RUGBY GAME AT TWICKENHAM? You guys are morons. Face it, you're going nowhere this world cup if a B class side like Brive (DO THEY STILL HAVE ANDY GOODE? LOLOL) can run around "the almighty" Munster like that.

By Anonymous, at April 15, 2011 7:13 pm
Nah im pretty sure good left brive to have a bit of a tickle with carter in the super 14 competition didnt he?

im sure a true SH fan would know....

maybe that just highlights what you are... a troll..

By Anonymous, at April 15, 2011 7:32 pm
Its funny how the commentator says OH!! every play.

By Walla, at April 15, 2011 7:33 pm
Two NH sides playing here so What the SH has got to do with this match is beyond me...

Good entertaining game...Seemed like both team just went out to play running rugby and made for an entertaining spectacle...

By themull, at April 15, 2011 7:37 pm
so what is the "amlin challenge cup"? There are so many comps up north idk which ones to take serious, where clubs play their best players, or ones where terrible sides always square off and it's a snoozefest, OR good teams are in it but always play a B side?

Brive's fullback is pretty terrible, just watched Earls (think it was earls) score that one try. And Jamie Noon? Lol I forgot he even played

By Anonymous, at April 15, 2011 8:58 pm
Ha!!! anon above me is a particularly dumb troll.
"...Earls (think it was earls)..."

By Johnny Ireland, at April 15, 2011 10:58 pm
Everybody starts to say : "wow, NH teams play like SH now".

Seems stupid to me.

Brive is all but a contender for the title. They have saved their place in the Top 14 and this game was a kind of present for everybody and the crowd.

Commentaries after the game was : we played well, we lost and that's life

European challenge gives one place for the H Cup and it's ist only interest.

Would Brive play the H Cup they would not be a match for Munster and most of the teams used to play this competition.

Almost impossible also to imagine such a score in a quarter final of H Cup (watch the result of this week), Premiership or Top 14.

Arnaud, France

By Anonymous, at April 15, 2011 11:35 pm
That was a cracking game to watch. It was about 30 degrees celsius out there, the ref decided before the game that waterbreaks would be needed for player safety. The first scrum came after 26 minutes or so!

And at the end of the game, the two teams got a standing ovation from both the Munster supporers and the home supporters of defeated Brive.

Fantastic occasion all around.

By Mike, at April 16, 2011 12:16 am
well said Mike

By Mike, at April 16, 2011 4:46 am
LOL you must LOVE all those comments from irish/munster fans bragging about how all 4 tries from Brive came out of luck, and how Munster dominated and all that!

well, Brive actually was about to go down to 2nd divisin in France, so, all you can say is not Munster were huge, but Why the F didn't munster kill that match and score 10 tries?????????

By Anonymous, at April 17, 2011 10:16 am
Anonymous above me - where are all these comments saying that Brive's tries were down to luck? The only comments from Munster fans are saying that it was a great game and a great event.

Learn to read, you idiot.

By Gavin, at April 17, 2011 12:37 pm
As an aside to the NH v SH debate.

Something I think is relevant but never mentioned is the fact that the S15 teams use international standard stadia and pitch sizes. Whereas most NH, HCup, ML, and so on teams use smaller soccer stadia and have to shorten not only the ingoal area but the distance between the 22 and 10m lines, Leicester and Glasgow spring to mind (god their pitches are tiny). Bar Munster and Edinburgh I can't think of many other teams that can whole week in an out have full rugby fields.

This has a huge effect in todays game where players are bigger, fitter and faster than before meaning less space for running rugby.

Agree or disagree????

By Anonymous, at April 20, 2011 6:54 pm
And that commentator is ex Scotland, British and Irish Lion and brother of Gavin, Scott Hastings. He is usually the co commentator but every now and then when there's a big schedule anchors 1 or two. Oh, and Frankie Sheehan is the co here.

By Anonymous, at April 20, 2011 6:56 pm