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Munster scrum-half Alby Mathewson flings 30-yard ‘quarterback’ pass

Published 20:16 29 Sept 2018 BST

Updated 23:37 29 Sept 2018 BST

Patrick McCarry
Munster scrum-half Alby Mathewson flings 30-yard ‘quarterback’ pass

Homerugby

.... and it found a teammate!

Munster are without the scrum-half, and generalship, services of Conor Murray for the foreseeable future but, in Alby Mathewson, they have got a replacement that backs himself. Alby Mathewson has played Super Rugby, has lined out for Toulon and five Test caps for the All Blacks. In short, the 32-year-old Kiwi is pretty handy. Signed on a short-term contract while Murray recovers from a neck injury, Mathewson made his Munster debut. On a brisk Saturday evening at Thomond Park, he made his first big impacts. Munster got off to a flyer against an Ulster side not long back from a two-game spin to South Africa. Peter O'Mahony secured a turnover in his own half and a smart kick up the oppsite flank, after some slick handling, released Alex Wootton. The winger, in for the injured Mike Haley, found centre Dan Goggin in support and it was 5-0. Joey Carbery added the extra and did so again, soon after, when Tommy O'Donnell's line-break punished Ulster again. https://twitter.com/eirSport/status/1046108910095147008 O'Mahony would soon fashion another scoring chance - a successful Carbery penalty - but before all that, Mathewson showed off some Kiwi flair. The ball was kicked out by Billy Burns and while just about every person in the ground expected a lineout, the Munster No.9 thought, 'Hah, I'll find Rory Scannell here'. Mathewson unfurled a gem of a quarterback pass and, for his sake, he was blessed Scannell was wide to it and clung on. [caption id="attachment_179251" align="aligncenter" width="734"] Credit: eir Sport[/caption] The attack was on again and Ulster were scrambling. This is how the New Zealanders do it. The QB pass definitely got some love. https://twitter.com/threeredkings/status/1046109157458407424 https://twitter.com/Diarm_Linehan/status/1046109287284707334 https://twitter.com/governator99/status/1046109103117021184 Opposition sides will have to be tuned in whenever they face Munster and their new scrum-half Alby Mathewson again.
Munster scrum-half Alby Mathewson flings 30-yard 'quarterback' pass