Munster earned their first Vodacom United Rugby Championship title since 2011 in front of a record crowd of over 56 300 fans as they scored a late try to deny hosts, the DHL Stormers, their second successive title at home, thanks to a narrow 19-14 victory in an intense Grand Final in Cape Town on Saturday night.
The first half at the DHL Stadium proved to be a hard grind as Munster dominated possession and territory and applied pressure on the DHL Stormers on attack, but the home side stood their ground for most of the first stanza, as they conceded two tries and scored one to trail 12-7 at the break.
The second half was equally tense, but Munster’s two tries to one by the Cape side saw them complete a fairy-tale season by winning all their playoff matches away from home to earn the title.
DHL Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok earned the hosts the first points of the match in the sixth minute as he scooped an intercept from a forward pass by Munster to dash to the tryline and he added the extra two to hand the team a 7-0 lead.
Munster struck back a five minutes later with hooker Diarmuid Barron scoring a try from a rolling maul after being awarded a penalty after an earlier attempt at the tryline, and with the kick at goal proving unsuccessful they trailed 7-5.
The Capetonians were dealt a big blow in the 19th minute as No 8 Evan Roos received a yellow card for an off-side infringement, which resulted in them having to play with 14 men for the next 10 minutes.
Munster threatened thrice on attack in the proceeding minutes, and failed to score due to a double movement, knocked on and forward pass respectively, but their efforts finally paid off in the 29th minute as wing Calvin Nash gathered a well-timed cross kick by flyhalf Jack Crowley and cruised over the chalk, and the successful conversion pushed them 12-7 ahead.
With Munster dominating territory and possession and neither team able to add to the score before the break, the Irish team entered the break holding a narrow five-point lead.
Libbok had an opportunity to extend their lead in the 43rd minute, but his penalty goal attempt went wayward. The hosts threatened to score in the 48th minute but Libbok knocked on the ball in contact and Munster gained possession, which denied them from adding to their score.
Munster found themselves a man down in the 48th minute as fullback Mike Haley received a yellow card for a late off-the-ball tackle, and the DHL Stormers took full advantage of the extra man as flanker Deon Fourie crashed over the tryline from a maul five metres out. Libbok added the conversion to hand the hosts a 14-12 lead.
Munster had a chance to kick at goal in the 57th minute and opted to kick for touch, but they were shut out by the determined DHL Stormers defence.
Flanker John Hodnett, however, made sure that the team had the advantage on the scoreboard as he scored a try in the 76th minute after they spread the ball wide. Crowley slotted the conversion to hand the visitors a 19-14 lead with three minutes left to play, and despite Munster receiving a yellow card 79th minute as Crowley received his marching orders for foul play, they managed to hang onto the lead and seal the important victory for the team.
Scorers:
DHL Stormers 14 (7) – Tries: Manie Libbok, Deon Fourie. Conversions: Libbok (2).
Munster 19 (12) – Tries: Diarmuid Barron, Calvin Nash, John Hodnett. Conversions: Jack Crowley (2).
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