Munster drag themselves into a needed URC victory
- Updated: 23/01/2026
Munster 22, Dragons 20
IT was close, but in the end it was Munster who deservedly got the win in an exciting URC clash in
Virgin Media Park, Cork tonight.
It was a poor first half for the home side and they trailed 13-7. The Dragons dominated most of the 40 minutes and it was only in the last play of the 40 minutes that the home side got in for a converted try, Jean Kleyn grounding the ball after some great work by the pack, Tony Butler converting. Up to that point Munster were playing a defenive role after the Dragons had ran up a 13 point lead thanks to penalty kicks by full back Angus O’Brien and a try by Brodie Coghlan. A disallowed try for the visitors allowed Munster to get a badly needed score at the other end, John Kleyn touching down after prolonged work by the pack and Tony Butler was accurate with the conversion. If the Munster fans hoped that the start to the second half would see their side lift their game as the second half began they were wrong. It was the Dragons who came out of the blocks and and after some lovely running rugby, David Richards touched down at the other end of the field. That score brought the visitors into a 7-20 lead and something had to be done in the Munster bench to turn this game around.
Gavin Coombes was then brought on and he made an immediate impact, scoring a brace of tries, one of which was converted, and Munster were into a 22-20 lead that they held onto for the rest of the game. The win puts Munster into the top four of the URC.
Munster Rugby: Mike Haley, Thaakir Abrahams, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly, Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron (c), Michael Ala’alatoa, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Seán Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn, Brian Gleeson
Replacements: Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Evan O’Connell, Gavin Coombes, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Diarmuid Kilgallen
Dragons RFC: David Richar (c), David Richards, Fine Inisi, Aneurin Owen, Rio Dyer, Tinus de Beer, Che Hope, Rodrigo Martinez, Brodie Coghlan, Robert Hunt, Levi Douglas, Ben Carter (C.c), Harri Keddie, Harry Beddall, Aaron Wainwright
Replacements: Oli Burrows, Jordan Morris, Cebo Dlamini, Seb Davies, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Rhodri Williams, Harri Ackerman, Cai Evans
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU, 25th league game)
AR 1: Andrew Cole (IRFU) AR 2: Dan Carson (IRFU)
TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
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