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Ospreys no match for slick and hungry Munster men

( The Wycherleys will be happy with their performances tonight)

Munster 58, Ospreys 3
By Aidan Corr in Thomond Park

THE bonus point safely achieved at the break, Munster sailed through tonight’s URC game with some ease against an Osprey’s side whose spirited efforts were overcome by a the more skillful home side. It was 27-3 at the break but if a Welsh resurgence was expected there was a further blow with Paddy Pattereson scampering over for another Munster try that Carbery failed to convert. At 32-3 after 42 minutes, and the  home side threatening to score every time they ran the ball, the lead was increased on 53 minutes to 39-3 with Gavin Coombes using his hefty frame to bundle himself over the line and Carbery this time was accurate with the kick. Munster kept up the pressure and crowd favourite Simon Zebo skipped past a tackle to touchdown at the Ballynanty end, Carbery’s conversion again missed the target but it mattered little with the score now reading 44-3 and 16 minutes still left to play. Still the scores flowed with Shane Daly going over unopposed, Carvery’s conversion pushing the lead past the 50 mark.

The Ospreys must have been praying for the final whistle at this stage. Nothing had gone their way in this game apart from their lone three pointer at the start  of the game, and even when they got a sniff of a try when replacement Jack Walsh looked as  if he would win the race to a kick through, there was a red shirt at hand to deprive him. Munster finished on the offensive, a booming penalty kick from Ben Healy giving them another attacking platform and Coombes got his hat-trick try, converted by Carbery to make it 58-3.

 The open half was entertaining. Three minutes into the game the Ospreys went into a three point lead when out-half Stephan Moyler popped a penalty kick. Second row Tom Botha created the score when he found a gap in the home defence to make a 30 metre break. Munster came close to getting their first score on 11 minutes but they somehow lost possession a few metres from the line. They levelled the tie a few minutes later, |Joey Carbery converting a close-in penalty and the sides were level at 3-3 after 12 minutes. The first try of the game arrived three minutes later, Jean Kleyn sending Gavin Coombes over near the posts and Carbery converting. Ospreys’ Elvis Taione was then sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle snd trailing 3-10 the Ospreys were facing a difficult second quarter. At the next phase Munster increased their lead to 15-3 when  Malakai Fekitoa finished off a fine break by Antoine Frisch to touch down. Joey Carbery missed the conversion.

With the Welsh side continually conceding penalties, the game took  on an attacking practice for the Reds. They ran the ball at every opportunity and there was hardly one kick from play during the opening half. The waves of attack continued and after the ball went through the hands of numerous Munster men, Antoine Frisch glided through for his side’s third try with Carbery again failing to add the extras. With the scoreboard reading 20-3 to the home side the result of this game was already going  only one way. Three minutes before the break ruthless Munster struck again, this time Joey Carbery selling a clever dummy to go over and his conversion extended the lead to 27-3. The one-sided half finished with the Ospreys  conceding a penalty on their first attack near the home line.

Small crowd, 

Munster: Shane Daly, Liam Coombes, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Simon Zebo, Joey Carbery, Paddy Patterson, Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Roman Salanoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue (c), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Jack O’Sullivan, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Ben Healy, Rory Scannell
Ospreys: Max Nagy, Luke Morgan, Michael Collins, Owen Watkin, Keelan Giles, Stephen Myler, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Nicky Smith (c), Elvis Taione, Tom Botha, Bradley Davies, Huw Sutton, Jack Regan, Ethan Roots, Morgan Morris
Replacements: Tom Cowan-Dickie, Garyn Phillips, Rhys Henry, James Fender, Harri Deaves, Matthew Aubrey, Jack Walsh, Iestyn Hopkins.

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR, 21st league game)
AR 1: Dan Carson (IRFU) AR 2: Padraic Reidy (IRFU)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)

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