Munster are nearly back but they need to complete the job in South Africa

The United Rugby Championship has delivered yet again with a shock result last weekend.

Munster nearly lost a game that they were so dominant in. There hasn't been a Munster v Leinster game in some time where they would have felt as dominant as that. If they left it behind them, they’d have been a 'nearly’ team once again. Frustrated fans, frustrated players and coaches without the solutions to the problems.

If Jack Crowley wasn’t so assured in the dying moments of the game, they’d have nearly lost it. Of course, there were many moments on Saturday that led to a one-score game and ultimately gave Crowley the chance to step up for his team, not least the Rory Scannell composure underneath his own posts to slalom his way onto the front foot.

There were moments for and against both sides all game, but the deciding factor was Jack Crowley’s right foot.

You could see the process happening, he disconnected from the game for a few short moments. He actually turned away from play. He took a deep breath, fixed his socks, and started the routine as if it was a goal kick. No messing about. He was confident and assured. Over it went, of course it did. Because that’s the way Jack’s career has gone of late. He wouldn’t expect anything less. It was a given.

But had he slightly skewed it, had he not been as conditioned to go 80 minutes of physical confrontation, knocking his opposite number and World Cup hopeful on his back in the build-up...

Had he done anything millimetres different, we might be speaking of another valiant loss for a spirited Munster team with bags of potential and young talent. Not this time. They got over a very large hump that’s been standing in the way of their development in the last number of years.

It's only one game