Scannell delighted after Munster grind out win, plays down talk of ‘weak’ Leinster selection

MUNSTER HOOKER NIALL Scannell expressed satisfaction with his side’s convincing 29-17 win over Leinster on St Stephen’s Day at Thomond Park.

The bonus-point victory over their Irish rivals saw Rassie Erasmus’ side move five points clear at the top of the Pro12 table and Scannell was relieved as his team partially compensated for a 25-14 loss against the same opposition at the Aviva Stadium earlier in the campaign.

“It’s good to be top of the league and that was the bottom line going into this game against Leinster.

“We were ahead at half time and it would have been easy to rest there but the emphasis was on pushing on and kicking on and it was brilliant to get the bonus point and to prevent them getting one.”

The match took place in front of a record crowd of 26,200 and Scannell acknowledged that the supporters played a big role in making the occasion special.

“It seems to be building and building every week and we’re just really enjoying the atmosphere we’re getting from the fans, but there’s a bit of expectation with that at the end of the day, and we have to give back to them for the support they are giving us.”

The 24-year-old Cork native added that his side’s immense physicality was key to their victory.

“The physical aspect is tough against a team like Leinster and if you do get that right , then it allows us to play, gives us a framework to play. It’s not all that different to what we were doing last year.”

The former Ireland U20 international also played down talk of a ‘weak’ or ‘second string’ Leinster selection.

“It’s about catching your breath and analysing what’s going on so it’s hugely physical and we knew that was coming so there were no surprises there. It was about matching that and getting the break down right, which was where we let ourselves down a small bit against Leicester away.

“There was certainly no psychological issue there for us. We knew we needed to be up for it and we had to get to that pitch especially at scrum time. With the experience they had, there certainly wasn’t anything like that from our end. We knew how tough that game was going to be and I don’t think Leinster disappointed there in any capacity. It was a massively tough game.”

A relatively inexperienced player having only signed a two-year full contract in March 2015, Scannell is delighted to be getting regular game time with the province.

The last few weeks have been hectic for Scannell and Munster, and that won’t change anytime soon, as they travel to face Connacht on Saturday.

“We sat back a few weeks ago and looked at that and we’ve had unbelievably tough opposition for the last few weeks as well.

“Going up to the Sportsground against the champions is going to be a massive ask again and it’s only a five-day turnaround, so we’ll be pleased with the win tonight, but back at it again tomorrow because that’s the opposition we’re up against.”

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