Rowntree to review third-quarter Champions Cup collapse

Munsterโ€™s Conor Murray after the Champions Cup defeat to Cell C Sharks last Saturday.

THE THIRD quarter, in which four tries were conceded, will be the main focus of a review by head coach Graham Rowntree going into the Champions Cup Round of 16 defeat (50-35) of Munster by Cell C Sharks in Durban.

At the heart of the review, Rowntree said, would be penalties and turnovers.

โ€œThe conditions (29 degrees Celsius) were challenging. We are not used to this weather. But, towards the end, we were chasing the game, scoring tries, and I was pleased with our energy,โ€ noted Rowntree in his televised post-match interview.ย 

โ€œI was pleased with our effort, but technically, tactically we have got to be better. We will look at that third quarter when things got away from us.

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โ€œWe will look at penalties we conceded or turnovers we conceded at breakdown, those are the elements we will have a look at. We will go back and analyse the game to see where we have got to be better.โ€

He added: โ€œI am hugely disappointed, as you can imagine.โ€

โ€œIt was a three-point game at half-time (17-14) but quickly got away from us with two more tries and then the game got even looser and we were chasing the game.

โ€œWe can score tries, we have proven that, but we have had a taste of what it is coming to this club and this town and we are back out here soon.โ€

Rowntreeโ€™s side face DHL Stormers in the league on April 15.

With the win at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, Sharks became the first team from South Africa to secure a place in the quarter-finals.ย