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Well-drilled Munster deserve needed league points

Munster 17, Emirates Lions 10

in Thomond Park

AN impressive display of running rugby by Munster tonight in Headquarters helped to stop the rot in the URC. In perfect conditions this was a very entertaining game and the Lions never gave up the fight. There were some very impressive performances in the green and white shirts tonight with Jack O’Donoghue deserving of the Man of the Match award after a super display of defensive and attacking rugby.

Munster dominated possession in the first ten minutes but a few handling errors and a sharp Lions’ defence kept the game scoreless. The Lions self-destructed  with their kicking and they paid the price on 16 minutes, a well constructed Minster attack finished off by Thaakir Abrahams as he went in for his first score the province. Billy Burns added the extras as the home side went into a well-deserved lead. The Lions bounced back and after a spell of possession Henco van Wyk left the home defence gasing as he sped through from outside the 22 and dived over. Kade Wolhuter levelled it at 7-7 and it was the same player that put his side into a 7-10 lead when he popped over a close-in penalty at the Mayorstone end. As the penalty count continued to rise, Munster were forced to show their defensive qualities as the Lions dominated the second quarter.

Two minutes into the second half Munster scored a terrific try. Shane Daly finishing off a superb attack through the hands but Billy Burns missed the easy conversion. and they were back in the lead at 12-10. It became obvious that the instructions in the dressingroom at the break was to run the ball at every opportunity and that ploy paid dividends with Munster increasing their lead to 17-10, Burns again off target from in front of the posts. Leading 17-10 going into the final quarter, this game appeared to be going in favour of the home side but the Lions forced play a few metres from the Munster line on 64 minutes. A score looked likely but  a home boot turned the defence into attack at the other end of the field.

Munster: Mike Haley; Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan,;Dian Bleuler, Diarmuid Barron (c), John Ryan; Evan O’Connell, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Stephen Archer, Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Shane Daly
Emirates Lions: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Marius Louw (c), Edwill van der Merwe; Kade Wolhuter, Morne van den Berg,;Juan Schoeman, PJ Botha, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruben Schoeman, Ruan Delport, Jarod Cairns, WJ Steenkamp, Francke Horn
Replacements: Franco Marais, Morgan Naude, Conraad van Vuuren, Reinhard Nothnagel, JC Pretorius, Sanele Nohamba, Tapiwa Mafura, Erich Cronje
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 40th league game)
AR 1: Keane Davison (IRFU) AR 2: Padraic Reidy (IRFU)
TMO: Keith David (WRU)

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