Munster opened their pre-season with a 47-26 defeat away to Stade Rochelais, but the trip to the Atlantic coast gave Clayton McMillan a proper look at the work ahead before the URC begins.
La Rochelle had their Top 14 opener in sight and played with the sharpness of a side further along in its preparation. Munster were given a hard lesson in missed tackles, loose contact and the cost of failing to exit cleanly. That is useful information in August, even if the scoreboard is a sore read.
A bright start, then a French surge
Gavin Coombes scored Munster's first try inside two minutes after Seán Edogbo broke a tackle and the visitors worked the ball wide. La Rochelle responded through Ugo Pacome before Nathan Bollengier, Thomas Adelaide and Bollengier again put the home side in control.
Munster's maul provided a reply. Conor Kennelly set it from a Lee Barron throw and Barron finished it, with JJ Hanrahan adding the conversion. La Rochelle led 28-12 with 11 minutes left in the first half and added two further tries before the break.
The maul gave Munster a foothold
A second-half penalty try after La Rochelle brought down a Munster rolling maul cut the gap to 40-19. Munster then held out through a lengthy spell of La Rochelle possession, forcing errors from the hosts.
Brian Gleeson scored Munster's fourth try after a lineout in the final quarter, with Tom Wood converting. The visitors had Ethan Coughlan sent to the sin bin and later received a second yellow card, leaving them with 13 players when La Rochelle scored their final converted try.
The result should be kept in proportion. McMillan named separate teams for each half and the travelling group included academy players and new signings. Still, the fixture did its job. Munster found a reliable maul, saw young players contribute, and were shown the defensive standards required when the season turns serious.
Reporting: Munster Rugby