First try for Ben O'Connor as Munster grab bonus point away to Dragons
Ben O’Connor of Munster runs in to score a try at Rodney Parade. Picture: Kian Abdullah/Sportsfile
Four tries in the opening quarter meant Munster’s Saturday night URC visit to Rodney Parade to face the Dragons was a comfortable one, as Cork’s Ben O’Connor capped off his first start in a Munster shirt with his first try.
Munster scored a peach of a try in the third minute, to get the scoreboard moving, as Shane Daly put Tom Ahern into space down the left touchline and the big second row showed his famed pace to race clear, and he was able to put his supporting winger Diarmuid Kilgallen away to score in the left corner.
Gavin Coombes was just short when reaching for the line in the 7th minute after another big carry by Ahern got Munster rolling, and in the 16th minute is was a big burst up the middle by Coombes that splintered the Dragons defence, and he popped to Alex Kendellen on his shoulder to cross for Munster’s second.
A huge night for O’Connor, on his first start for Munster, got even better when the 20-year-old full-back was on hand to collect Kendellen’s inside pass to go under the posts in the 19th minute, after another flowing Munster move.
Shane Daly was taken out with a high tackle, when in the act of scoring a try in the left corner a minute later, and the ref awarded the penalty try and brandished home centre Aneurin Owen with a yellow card.
Dian Bleuler, who is about to depart the club, unfortunately, was the next to cross, when he used his considerable heft to bounce his way to the line in the 33rd minute for Munster’s fifth try, to ensure they had a commanding 0-31 lead at half time.
The Dragons got the embarrassing donut off the scoreboard in the first minute of the second half when tight head Chris Coleman burrowed over from close range as Munster had clearly taken the foot off the pedal at the break.
The Munster maul had malfunctioned all night, but in the 53rd minute, they finally got it in working order. Tom Ahern collected Diarmuid Barron’s delivery and John Hodnett was on hand to peel off the maul and dive over for a try within seconds of his introduction.
Harry Wilson crossed for a Dragons try in the 67th minute after he ran a strong line off a 5m tap penalty, as Munster lost their shape late on due to the multiple backline injuries and their 6-2 split.
Wilson was to the fore again in the 74th minute when he carved open the Munster defence with a great line from deep and he was able to put a try on a plate for the supporting Dane Blacker for another consolation score.
L Evans (1 con), W Reed (1 con), C Coleman, H Wilson, D Blacker (1 try each).
B Burns (2 cons), T Butler (1 con), D Kilgallen, A Kendellen, B O’Connor, D Bleuler, J Hodnett (1 try each), Penalty try.
H Anderson; R Dyer, A Owen (c), H Ackerman, J Rosser; L Evans, M Lloyd; R Martinez, B Coghlan, C Coleman; J Davies, R Woodman; S Lewis-Hughes, D Lydiate, T Basham.
G Young for T Basham (4), D Kelleher-Griffiths for R Martinez (9), H Wilson for H Ackerman (36), D Blacker for M Lloyd (40), B Langton-Cryer for R Woodman (46), J Benjamin for B Coghlan (51), P Latu for C Coleman (61), W Reed for L Evans (68).
B O'Connor; D Kilgallen, T Farrell, R Scannell, S Daly; B Burns, E Coughlan; D Bleuler, D Barron, O Jager; F Wycherley, T Ahern; J O’Donoghue (c), A Kendellen, G Coombes.
T Butler for T Farrell (24), J Ryan for O Jager (42), P Patterson for S Daly (50), J Hodnett for A Kendellen (52), B Gleeson for B Burns (56), E O’Connell for F Wycherley (61), D Sheahan for E Coughlan (64), K Ryan for D Bleuler (68).
Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
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