Munster bounce back with emphatic win over Ospreys in rain-soaked Cork
Munster’s Jack O'Donoghue in the lineout at rain-swept Musgrave Park. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
After last week’s embarrassing defeat to Zebre Munster were back to winning ways when they secured a hard-fought but well-deserved bonus point victory over the Ospreys at a rain-soaked Virgin Media Park on Saturday evening.
In a match played in dreadful conditions, Munster struck for the opening try after only ten seconds. Ospreys centre Owen Watkin spilled Jack Crowley’s lofty kick-off straight into the path of the onrushing Shay McCarthy and the Young Munster winger gleefully crashed over for the simplest of scores.
In brutal weather for kicking, Crowley managed to dissect the posts with a 30m penalty in the ninth minute, although the sight of tight head Oli Jager and blindside Peter O’Mahony both going off injured early on took a bit of wind out of the sails of Munster’s bright start.
With the wind at their backs, Munster knew they needed a healthy half-time advantage. They grabbed try number two in the 26th minute when the maul rumbled towards the Ospreys line, and when Niall Scannell looked like being held up just short, he had the wherewithal to pop the ball to the supporting Tom Farrell, and the centre dove over for his first Munster try.
Right on half time they crossed for try number three, with Calvin Nash diving over in the right corner from a slick Craig Casey 25-metre pass, after the pack had done the softening up, as Munster led 18-0 at the break.
The Ospreys won a number of penalties in the third quarter which gave them excellent field positions, but they were confronted with a very different Munster defensive line this week, than what Zebre faced seven days ago in Parma, with captain Tadhg Beirne very much to the fore.
Last week the lack of leadership was a clear issue, but that was not a problem in Cork with the return of Beirne and Jack Crowley, who were ably assisted by great performances from Stephan Archer, Craig Casey and Tom Farrell.
The bonus point was wrapped up in the 64th minute when Jack O’Donoghue released McCarthy in midfield and the number eight continued his run to be in the perfect place to take the return pass to score.
Full-back Mike Haley became the third Munster player to hobble off injured in the 70th minute, as the club’s injury crisis shows little sign of abating.
Stephen Archer was yellow-carded in the 76th minute, but despite the numerical disadvantage the Munster defensive line would not be denied, as they consigned their Welsh opponents to a shutout.
J Crowley (1 pen), S McCarthy, T Farrell, C Nash, J O’Donoghue (1 try each).
M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, B Fitzgerald, S McCarthy; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, O Jager; J Kleyn, T Beirne (c); P O'Mahony, J Hodnett, J O'Donoghue.
S Archer for O Jager (13), G Coombes for P O’Mahony (22), D Barron and C Murray for N Scannell and C Casey (55), J Ryan and F Wycherley for J Loughman and J Kleyn (63), T Butler for M Haley (70), J Daly for C Nash (71).
M Nagy; I Hopkins, O Watkin, P Cokanasiga, R Conbeer; D Edwards, R Morgan-Williams; S Thomas, D Lake, B Warren; H Sutton, A Beard; J Ratti, J Morgan (c), M Morris.
S Parry, G Phillips and H Deaves for S Thomas, D Lake and M Morris (57), M Iorweth-Scott and K Williams for B Warren and O Watkin (65), L Davies for R Morgan-Williams (68).
Mike Adamson (SRU).
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