Munster's MacHale mentality gives Costello confidence for late-season run
HOW YOU DO IT: Munster’s Jean Kleyn and head coach Ian Costello celebrate in Castlebar. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Ian Costello left MacHale Park delighted with the character and composure shown by his Munster side as they secured a crucial 30-24 bonus-point derby victory over Connacht in Mayo on Saturday.
The interim head coach saw Munster, rejuvenated by returning internationals and fit-again stars, bounce back from consecutive league defeats to bolster their end-of-season play-off hopes. Yet it was a close-run thing following the 25th minute sending off of centre Alex Nankivell and second-half yellow cards for Tadhg Beirne and Niall Scannell that reduced the visitors to 13 men for an additional 11 minutes.
Connacht took advantage of Beirne’s yellow card to claim their fourth try of the afternoon to delight a 27,870 crowd on their maiden try to the home of Mayo GAA and it was enough to secure two bonus points by closing the losing deficit to six points but the home side were denied a famous victory by a disallowed try at the death and a critical lineout steal inside the visitors’ 22 by returning Munster lock replacement Jean Kleyn.
While Costello was left frustrated to have finished the round 14 fixture hanging on for their win, he was full of praise for the team’s performance in difficult windy conditions at MacHale Park as Tom Ahern, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley and Diarmuid Barron finished well-worked tries. Their ability to adapt to being a man, and at times, two men down was just as pleasing.
"We had 14 and 13 (players on the pitch) and so you're always....if you turnover a ball it costs you 70, 80 metres,” Costello said. “The one kick, Mack Hansen puts us into the 22, we knew that was always a possibility with the conditions.
"I think the calmness, the composure, how the players adapted to all the different things between the conditions, the 14 and 13 men, was outstanding. There was a lot of experience on the field as well, I think that really came through.
"I think when we were numbers down, character and fight is huge but actually the accuracy and the execution around our carries, our cleanout and our ball retention...it's quite simple but to retain the ball for the number of phases that we did I think had a huge impact on the second half.
"A couple of turnovers then cost you a lot of territory but very pleasing how accurate a lot of that was.”
Nankivell had been given a red card by referee Craig Evans for a no-arms ruck clearout on Connacht captain Cian Prendergast which left the back-rower prostate on the MacHale Park playing surface. He received lengthy treatment on the pitch as his head was stabilised and a neck brace fitted before being removed on a stretcher cart.
“He's okay, he's in hospital at the moment getting checked out,” Connacht’s interim head coach Cullie Ticker said after the game. “So far, so good, is my understanding and hopefully that continues. It's a tough sight to see for anyone, but I was talking to his Dad afterwards and he [Cian] was speaking, so, so far, so good.”
Nankivell now seems certain to miss next Saturday’s Champions Cup Round of 16 trip to La Rochelle and Costello said: "It's difficult first of all, I understand Cian is doing OK, which is the most important thing. We don't want to see anyone like that taken off the field, Cian is a fantastic competitor.
"Equally Alex Nankivell is one of the most...I don't know how to put it, in terms of the spirit he plays the game in, he's an outstanding character, and he'll be disappointed with that.
"We'll just have to look at it closely now and see what happens next, really. I can see why the referee gave a red, it was very difficult for Alex the way he came into the ruck when they were over the ball and it's unfortunately one of those things, you make contact with the head and you run the risk of a yellow or red card.”
