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Munster player ratings vs Castres | Investec Champions Cup
By Ian Cameron
Munster player ratings: Munster’s overall discipline and execution issues cost them a chance of turning over Castres at Stade Pierre Fabre, and they ultimately had to settle for 16-14 scoreline and a losing bonus point.
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Here’s how we rated the Munster players:
15. Mike Haley – 4
Pinged early for holding on, lobbed the ball into touch like he was aiming for row Z, and rounded things off with a forward pass that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a pub sevens match. A night to forget for the full-back.
14. Calvin Nash – 5
Struggled to assert himself in the game, with few chances to show his pace or skill on the wing. Good in the air.
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13. Tom Farrell – 5.5
Tried his best to inject some grunt into Munster’s backline and was solid defensively, but couldn’t dent Castres’ resolute defence.
12. Alex Nankivell – 6
Showed plenty of fight and aggression, throwing himself into tackles and carries with real intent. However, his efforts often felt like a solo mission in a misfiring backline.
11. Thaakir Abrahams – 5
A real comedown after last week’s heroics. Did his best defensively, including a valiant but futile attempt to stop former Connacht No.8 Abraham Papali’i’s try, before being forced off with a shoulder injury.
10. Jack Crowley – 5.5
Nearly the architect of Munster’s comeback hopes with solid conversions, but his missed touchfinder in the 80th minute will haunt him more than a dodgy Christmas pudding. He’ll need to do better than this if he’s to fend off Sam Prendergast for the Ireland 10 jersey.
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9. Craig Casey – 6
Injured early, limiting his contribution, though he battled to organize the attack before leaving the field.
1. Dian Bleuler – 5
The South African was one of a number of Munster players who needs to look at their tackling technique. Went off injured after 21 minutes.
2. Niall Scannell – 5.5
One of the few brightish sparks in the pack, with solid defensive work and a key role in Munster’s maul try. That said, must hold up his hand for Munster’s setpiece omni-shambles.
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3. Stephen Archer – 4
Seemed determined to be on first-name terms with the referee with his appalling tackling costing Munster dearly here. It might be time for Munster to finally start looking beyond the 36-year-old.
4. Fineen Wycherley – 5
Struggled to make an impact after a pretty poor start to the game.
5. Tadhg Beirne – 7
Led the side well and provided some key turnovers, though not his most commanding performance.
6. Peter O’Mahony – 6.5
Fought the good fight with his usual grit and determination, scrapping for every inch at the breakdown and in defence. His departure due to injury left Munster missing a vital edge in the closing stages.
7. John Hodnett – 8
Munster’s standout performer, Hodnett crossed the whitewash twice and worked tirelessly in defence. A gutsy display that kept his team in the fight, even if the support around him fell short.
8. Brian Gleeson – 6
On his first start of the season, he showed promise with physical carries and defensive contributions but faded slightly as the game progressed. Huge promise.
REPLACEMENTS
16. Diarmuid Barron – 5
Brought energy to the pack and was effective in the maul but missed a crucial lineout opportunity late on.
17. Dave Kilcoyne – 6
The old warhorse added some much-needed heft to the scrum and brought his usual brand of controlled aggression.
18. Oli Jager – 5
Had limited time to make an impact in the scrums or open play.
19. Tom Ahern – 7
Brought fresh energy to the forwards and was reliable in the lineout.
20. Alex Kendellen – 5
Had little time to impose himself on the game.
21. Paddy Patterson – 5.5
Provided quick service from the breakdown and added tempo after replacing Casey in the first half.
22. Rory Scannell – 5
A steady presence off the bench but had little chance to influence proceedings.
23. Jack O’Donoghue – 6
Added some physicality in the final stages of the game.
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