2011–12 Munster Rugby season

The 2011–12 Munster Rugby season was Munster's eleventh season competing in the Pro12, alongside which they also competed in the Heineken Cup. It was Tony McGahan's fourth and final season as Director of Rugby.

2011–12 Munster Rugby season
Ground(s)Thomond Park (Capacity: 26,500)
Musgrave Park (Capacity: 8,500)
Coach(es)Tony McGahan
Captain(s)Paul O'Connell
League(s)Pro12
2011–123rd, semi-finals
← 2010–11 2012–13 →

Summary

Munster were drawn in Pool 1 of the 2011–12 Heineken Cup alongside Scarlets, Northampton Saints and Castres.[1] Munster defeated Northampton 23–21 in their opening pool fixture on 12 November 2011, thanks to an 84th minute drop-goal from Ronan O'Gara.[2] One week later, away from home against Castres, a last-gasp drop-goal from O'Gara again handed victory to Munster, this time 27–24.[3] In the December double-header against Scarlets, Munster emerged victorious from both fixtures, firstly defeating the Welsh side 17–14 in the away leg, before winning 19–13 at home.[4][5] In Round 5, Munster beat Castres 26–10 at Thomond Park to become the first side to qualify for the quarter-finals.[6] A 51–36 win away from home against Northampton in the sixth and final round, including a hat-trick from Simon Zebo, secured a home quarter-final for Munster.[7] However, in the quarter-final, Munster were beaten 22–16 at home by provincial rivals Ulster, ending their Heineken Cup campaign for the 2011–12 season.[8]

In the 2011–12 Pro12, Munster finished third with 67 points, in a season that included 14 wins, 1 draw and 7 defeats after 22 regular matches. In the play-offs, Munster lost 45–10 away to eventual champions Ospreys,[9] in a match that was Tony McGahan's final as Munster head coach.[10] New Zealander Rob Penney was subsequently confirmed as Munster's new head coach.[11]

2011–12 Playing Squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union
Jerry Flannery Hooker Ireland
Seán Henry Hooker Ireland
Mike Sherry Hooker Ireland
Damien Varley Hooker Ireland
Stephen Archer Prop Ireland
Peter Borlase Prop New Zealand
B. J. Botha Prop South Africa
John Hayes Prop Ireland
Marcus Horan Prop Ireland
Wian du Preez Prop South Africa
John Ryan Prop Ireland
Dave Foley Lock Ireland
Ian Nagle Lock Ireland
Donncha O'Callaghan Lock Ireland
Paul O'Connell (c) Lock Ireland
Mick O'Driscoll Lock Ireland
Donnacha Ryan Lock Ireland
Billy Holland Flanker Ireland
Tommy O'Donnell Flanker Ireland
Peter O’Mahony Flanker Ireland
Niall Ronan Flanker Ireland
David Wallace Flanker Ireland
Paddy Butler Number 8 Ireland
James Coughlan Number 8 Ireland
Denis Leamy Number 8 Ireland
Player Position Union
Conor Murray Scrum-half Ireland
Tomás O'Leary Scrum-half Ireland
Peter Stringer Scrum-half Ireland
Duncan Williams Scrum-half Ireland
Declan Cusack Fly-half Ireland
Scott Deasy Fly-half Ireland
Ian Keatley Fly-half Ireland
Ronan O'Gara Fly-half Ireland
Danny Barnes Centre Ireland
Will Chambers Centre Australia
Ivan Dineen Centre Ireland
Tom Gleeson Centre Ireland
Lifeimi Mafi Centre New Zealand
Savenaca Tokula Centre New Zealand
Keith Earls Wing Ireland
Doug Howlett Wing New Zealand
Johne Murphy Wing Ireland
Simon Zebo Wing Ireland
Denis Hurley Fullback Ireland
Felix Jones Fullback Ireland
Seán Scanlon Fullback Ireland

Pre-season
12 August 2011
19:30
La Rochelle 19–14 Munster
Report[12]
Stade Marcel-Deflandre
Attendance: 11,000
19 August 2011
19:00
Munster 0–15 Wasps
Report[13]
26 August 2011
19:00
Munster 11–10 London Irish
Report[14]

2011–12 Pro12
Main article: 2011–12 Pro12
Pro12 Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Tries For Tries Against Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Leinster (F) 221813568326+24248285281
2 Ospreys (C) 221615491337+15444222371
3 Munster (SF) 221417489367+12245275467
4 Glasgow Warriors (SF) 221345445321+12434232365
5 Scarlets 221228446373+7343305562
6 Ulster2212010474424+5053415356
7 Cardiff Blues 2210012446460−1443455550
8 Connacht227114321433−11227360737
9 Newport Gwent Dragons227114370474−10427411536
10 Benetton Treviso227015419558−13941573536
11 Edinburgh226115454588−13442652432
12 Aironi 224018289551−26222541522

If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[15]

  1. number of matches won;
  2. the difference between points for and points against;
  3. the number of tries scored;
  4. the most points scored;
  5. the difference between tries for and tries against;
  6. the fewest red cards received;
  7. the fewest yellow cards received.
Green background (rows 1 to 4) are play-off places. Qualification for the Heineken Cup is based on each country's allocation, i.e. three highest-ranked Irish teams, three highest-ranked Welsh teams, both Italian teams and both Scottish teams. Because Leinster won the 2012 Heineken Cup Final, Ireland earned an extra Heineken Cup place, which will go to Connacht. Aironi were denied a licence for the 2012–13 season due to financial issues; the newly established Zebre side replaced Aironi in the Pro12 and Heineken Cup.

Updated 5 May 2012. Source: RaboDirect PRO12

    3 September 2011
    19:45
    Munster 20–12 Newport Gwent Dragons
    Report[16]
    Musgrave Park
    Attendance: 7,252
    Referee: Stefano Penne
    9 September 2011
    19:30
    Glasgow Warriors 12–23 Munster
    Report[17]
    Firhill Stadium
    Attendance: 2,914
    17 September 2011
    19:45
    Munster 35–12 Scarlets
    Report[18]
    Musgrave Park
    Attendance: 7,648
    Referee: Andy Macpherson
    23 September 2011
    19:05
    Cardiff Blues 13–18 Munster
    Report[19]
    Cardiff City Stadium
    Attendance: 5,466
    30 September 2011
    19:30
    Edinburgh 29–14 Munster
    Report[20]
    Murrayfield
    Attendance: 3,467
    8 October 2011
    19:30
    Munster 13–17 Ospreys
    Report[21]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 16,599
    Referee: James Jones
    28 October 2011
    20:30
    Munster 18–6 Aironi
    Report[22]
    Musgrave Park
    Attendance: 8,742
    Referee: Peter Allan
    4 November 2011
    20:00
    Leinster 24–19 Munster
    Report[23]
    Aviva Stadium
    Attendance: 48,365
    26 November 2011
    20:30
    Munster 34–17 Edinburgh
    Report[24]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 18,200
    3 December 2011
    18:30
    Ospreys 19–13 Munster
    Report[25]
    Liberty Stadium
    Attendance: 5,783
    Referee: Peter Allan
    26 December 2011
    19:45
    Munster 24–9 Connacht
    Report[26]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 21,030
    30 December 2011
    19:05
    Ulster 33–17 Munster
    Report[27]
    Ravenhill
    Attendance: 11,379
    7 January 2012
    20:15
    Munster 29–11 Treviso
    Report[28]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 16,816
    Referee: Nigel Owens
    18 February 2012
    16:15
    Treviso 14–35 Munster
    Report[29]
    Stadio Comunale di Monigo
    Attendance: 4,200
    24 February 2012
    19:05
    Munster 16–13 Cardiff Blues
    Report[30]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 19,545
    3 March 2012
    18:30
    Newport Gwent Dragons 14–24 Munster
    Report[31]
    Rodney Parade
    Attendance: 6,129
    Referee: Carlo Damasco
    11 March 2012
    15:00
    Aironi 21–17 Munster
    Report[32]
    Stadio Luigi Zaffanella
    Attendance: 3,000
    24 March 2012
    19:45
    Connacht 16–20 Munster
    Report[33]
    31 March 2012
    19:30
    Munster 9–18 Leinster
    Report[34]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 26,500
    Referee: Nigel Owens
    14 April 2012
    19:15
    Munster 35–29 Glasgow Warriors
    Report[35]
    Musgrave Park
    Attendance: 7,942
    Referee: Nigel Owens
    21 April 2012
    18:30
    Scarlets 20–20 Munster
    Report[36]
    Parc y Scarlets
    Attendance: 10,741
    Referee: Alain Rolland
    5 May 2012
    19:30
    Munster 36–8 Ulster
    Report[37]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 19,362
    Referee: Alain Rolland

    Play-offs

    Semi-final
    11 May 2012
    19:35
    Ospreys 45–10 Munster
    Report[38]
    Liberty Stadium
    Attendance: 10,026
    Referee: Alain Rolland

    2011–12 Heineken Cup
    Main article: 2011–12 Heineken Cup

    Pool 1
    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
    Munster 66001410+4163118+451025
    Scarlets 6303129+3119124−51215
    Northampton Saints 62041816+2176160+162212
    Castres 61051019−9111167−56127
    12 November 2011
    Munster 23–21 Northampton Saints
    Report[39]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 25,600
    Referee: Nigel Owens
    19 November 2011
    Castres 24–27 Munster
    Report[40]
    Stade Ernest-Wallon
    Attendance: 13,500
    Referee: Wayne Barnes
    10 December 2011
    Scarlets 14–17 Munster
    Report[41]
    Parc y Scarlets
    Attendance: 13,183
    Referee: Romain Poite
    18 December 2011
    Munster 19–13 Scarlets
    Report[42]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 25,600
    Referee: Dave Pearson
    14 January 2012
    Munster 26–10 Castres
    Report[43]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 25,600
    Referee: A. Small
    21 January 2012
    Northampton Saints 36–51 Munster
    Report[44]
    Stadium MK
    Attendance: 22,220
    Referee: Romain Poite

    Quarter-final
    8 April 2012
    Munster 16–22 Ulster
    Report[45]
    Thomond Park
    Attendance: 26,000
    Referee: Romain Poite

    References
    1. "Heineken Cup Pool Draw". Munster Rugby. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    2. "Cometh the Moment, Cometh The Men". Munster Rugby. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    3. "Same Again Thanks Rog". Munster Rugby. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    4. "Set-Piece & Defence Gives Munster The Edge". Munster Rugby. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    5. "Munster Complete The Scarlets Job". Munster Rugby. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    6. "Fifth Successive Wins Sees Munster Through". Munster Rugby. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    7. "Munster Close The Deal". Munster Rugby. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    8. "Munster Go Crashing Out". Munster Rugby. 8 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    9. "Ospreys Through To The Rabo Final". Munster Rugby. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    10. "Wallabies Confirm McGahan Appointment". Munster Rugby. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    11. "Penney Appointed". Munster Rugby. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    12. "Munster Leave Themselves Too Much To Do". Munster Rugby. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    13. "Munster Held Scoreless In Musgrave Park". Munster Rugby. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    14. "Munster Overcome Irish". Munster Rugby. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    15. Competition Rule 3.5 "Summary of Key Rules". Pro12. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
    16. "First Half Sets Up Opening Round Victory". Munster Rugby. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    17. "12th On The Trot For Munster". Munster Rugby. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    18. "12th On The Trot For Munster". Munster Rugby. 18 September 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    19. "Defensive Display Keeps Munster Top". Munster Rugby. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    20. "No Complaints About The Outcome". Munster Rugby. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    21. "No Crumb Of Comfort In Losing Bonus". Munster Rugby. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    22. "Munster Master The Conditions". Munster Rugby. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    23. "Too Little Too Late?". Munster Rugby. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    24. "Munster Impress". Munster Rugby. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    25. "Howlett The Real Loss". Munster Rugby. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    26. "Youngster Impress As Oldster Departs". Munster Rugby. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    27. "Error Strewn Second Half Costs Munster". Munster Rugby. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    28. "Munster Back On Track". Munster Rugby. 8 January 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    29. "Bonus Point Win For Munster in Treviso". Munster Rugby. 18 February 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    30. "Munster Edge It". Munster Rugby. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    31. "Munster End Their Rodney Parade Hoodoo". Munster Rugby. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    32. "Munster Lose Out In Stadio Zaffanella". Munster Rugby. 11 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    33. "Munster Keep Their Heads To Take The Points". Munster Rugby. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    34. "Munster Way Off The Pace". Munster Rugby. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    35. "Munster Bounce Back Impressively". Munster Rugby. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    36. "Draw Sees Munster Through". Munster Rugby. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    37. "Win For Munster". Munster Rugby. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    38. "No Consolation Of Any Sort In This Result". Munster Rugby. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    39. "Cometh the Moment, Cometh The Men". Munster Rugby. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
    40. "Same Again Thanks Rog". Munster Rugby. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
    41. "Set-Piece & Defence Gives Munster The Edge". Munster Rugby. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
    42. "Munster Complete The Scarlets Job". Munster Rugby. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
    43. "Fifth Successive Wins Sees Munster Through". Munster Rugby. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
    44. "Munster Close The Deal". Munster Rugby. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
    45. "Munster Go Crashing Out". Munster Rugby. 8 April 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
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