Mighty Munster seal another impressive victory in South Africa

Lions 13 Munster 33 

A last-gasp Gavin Coombes try ensured that Munster took all five points on offer against the Lions in their URC clash at Emirates Airline Park in sunny Johannesburg on Saturday.

Fresh from last week’s rousing victory over the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend, it was Munster who started brightly, with out-half Jack Crowley slotting a penalty from 40m in the fourth minute and in the 8th minute he repeated the trick from almost the same spot to give the URC champions an early 0-6 lead.

The home side had a confidence-boosting victory last week themselves, as they trounced league leaders Leinster 44-12, and they battered away at the Munster defence for the next 10 minutes, but failed to come away with any points.

Given this lengthy period of dominance, it must have been incredibly frustrating to watch Crowley kick another huge penalty in the 20th minute to extend the Munster lead, although Lions full-back Jordan Hendrikse did get his side on the board with a well-struck penalty in the 27th minute.

The Munster maul then made mince meat of their hosts in the 34th minute when Peter O’Mahony collected a lineout six metres from the Lions line and after a big drive by the Munster forwards, number eight Jack O’Donoghue was able to crash over for the opening try.

Hendrikse split the posts from close range in the 38th minute for the Lions, but in a frantic final minute of the half Munster full-back Simon Zebo was hauled down as he was hacking the ball soccer-style towards the Lions tryline, and the ref and TMO combined to award the penalty try, while also issuing a yellow card to Lions centre Marius Lowe, to ensure that Munster led 6-23 at the break.

Up a man, Munster started the second half strongly, with Shane Daly scoring in the left corner in the 48th minute after good handling from Crowley, Zebo and Gavin Coombes.

The home side kept plugging away and finally crossed for a deserved try in the 62nd minute when replacement hooker PJ Botha burrowed over from close range.

Munster would have been fancying their chances of securing a bonus point, considering they 32 minutes to get the final try, but the Lions were now monopolising possession, as the effects of playing at altitude seemed to be taking their toll.

The Lions thought they had grabbed a second try through Sibusiso Sangweni in the 76th minute only for it to be chalked off for a double movement.

And just when the travelling Munster faithful had given up on the bonus point, Munster went and grabbed it with the final play of the game, after the Munster scrum had won a crucial penalty on halfway. From the resultant Joey Carbery touchfinder it was Gavin Coombes who rumbled over at the back of the maul to ensure that Munster left South Africa with a perfect ten points.

Scorers for Lions: J Hendrikse (2 pens, 1 con), PJ Botha (1 try).

Munster: J Crowley (3 pens, 1 con), J O’Donoghue, S Daly, G Coombes (1 try each), penalty try. 

LIONS: J Hendrikse; R Kriel, E Cronje, M Lowe, E van de Merwe; S Nohamba, M van den Berg; M Naude, J Visagie, R Dreyer; W Alberts, R Delport; JC Pretorius, E Tshituka, F Horn.

Subs: PJ Botha and A Ntlabakanye for J Visagie and R Dreyer (47), R Nothagel for W Alberts (51), R Venter for E Tshituka (54), G Lombard for R Kriel (58), N Steyn and S Sangweni for M van den Berg and JC Pretorius (67).

MUNSTER: S Zebo; C Nash, A Frisch, S O'Brien, S Daly; J Crowley, C Murray; J Loughman, N Scannell, S Archer; RG Snyman, T Beirne (capt); P O'Mahony, A Kendellen, J O'Donoghue.

Subs: C Casey for C Murray (44), G Coombes for J O’Donoghue (47), J Wycherley and T Ahern for J Loughman and P O’Mahony (51), O Jager for S Archer (58), M Haley for S Zebo (67), E Clarke and J Carbery for N Scannell and A Frisch (67), J Loughman for J Wycherley (72).

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)