Munster player ratings: John Hodnett rises to the occasion in URC title success

Jared Wright 27 May 2023 7:15 PM

Following their stunning 19-14 victory over the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship (URC) final, here is how we rated the Munster players who clinched the title.

15 Mike Haley: Outside of his yellow card, it was another excellent game from the Munster full-back. He covered the backfield superbly and once again got Munster out of some sticky situations. 7

14 Calvin Nash: A lot of Munster’s success in the final was their kick chase, and Nash was crucial to it. He contested brilliantly in the air and did well to hold his width to score in the 29th minute. Leolin Zas got little purchase on his side of the pitch. 7

Centre combination

13 Antoine Frisch: Munster‘s best signing this season and showed true character in the final. He gifted the Stormers their first try with a sloppy offload but recovered to put in a sturdy performance in his remaining 50-odd minutes on the pitch. He gained over 30 metres, made all his tackles and combined well with Malakai Fekitoa. 7

12 Malakai Fekitoa: A fantastic way for Fekitoa to sign off at Munster, putting in an excellent shift on defence, shutting down several threatening Stormers attacks. He was one of the standouts in the first 40 minutes, and while he was quieter in the second, it was no less impactful. 7

11 Shane Daly: A similarly excellent game to Nash as he chased kicks brilliantly, defended well and was vital to his side’s title-clinching win. He made good metres when he got into space and evaded defenders well. His awareness to pass to John Hodnett to set up the match-winning score was sublime. 8

Superb half-backs

10 Jack Crowley: The yellow card near the end of the match gave the Stormers a sniff in the dying embers of the game, but that was the tiniest blemish on an incredible performance. His kicks to touch from penalties were sublime; he controlled the attack sublimely and produced a brilliant cross-kick for Nash’s try. Moments before his yellow card, he made an outstanding tackle on Ruhan Nel, denying the centre a linebreak and stopping him from offloading – the match-winner in the semi-final and a similarly exceptional game today. 8

9 Conor Murray: The veteran scrum-half showed his class once again with an outstanding 66-minute shift. The Stormers’ backs just could not handle his high-hanging Garryowens, and Munster applied the pressure from his kicks. His service was swift and accurate and went a long way in his side’s success. 8

Back-row brilliance

8 Gavin Coombes: The Munster number eight has been brilliant all season, and that extended into the final, where he fought for every inch in attack and defended valiantly. 8

7 John Hodnett: What a game from the young flanker who was a surprise inclusion in the starting XV for the final. He scored late in the game to put Munster ahead, with the match-winning score being just reward for a stellar showing. He won a crucial turnover before half-time to ensure Munster’s lead and was a real handful with ball in hand. 9

6 Peter O’Mahony: A powerful 30-odd minute shift from the veteran Munsterman. His game was unfortunately ended early due to a head knock, but he made his presence known when he was on the pitch. He had little to do on defence but got his hands on the ball plenty with six carries, four passes and gained over 30 metres. 7

Tight five

5 Tadhg Beirne: He seemingly has a never-ending engine as he powers from one task to the next. Beirne chased what looked like lost causes and was almost rewarded for doing so in the second half, but his subsequent offload went forward. His work on the defensive mauls was outstanding, and he was a safe lineout option while contesting on the other end too. 8

4 Jean Kleyn: Munster denied the Stormers’ maul several times, and Kleyn was the driving force in their success. He is renowned for his work-rate, and it was on show again today, thundering into rucks, making his tackles and chasing kicks. 7

3 Stephen Archer: He needed to be technically sharp in the scrums due to the state of the Cape Town pitch, and he delivered. The veteran tighthead was busy around the park once again, working hard to clear out rucks and making some solid carries. 6

2 Diarmuid Barron: Another big game from the 24-year-old hooker on both sides of the ball. He grabbed a try from a driving maul but was a threat carrying the ball to the line making 13 runs and gaining around three metres per carry. 7

1 Jeremy Loughman: Like his fellow prop, Loughman was technically good in the scrums and got through a lot of work around the park. He was guilty of conceding a silly penalty when Munster had a scoring opportunity with a lineout five metres out. 6

Replacements: RG Snyman came on earlier than expected, but that mattered little, as he still managed to produce a splash off the bench. It was an attritional battle, and each member of the replacements made a positive impact in their own way. The bench saw them over the line ending a 12-year wait for silverware. 8

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