ULSTER AND MUNSTER GET CAMPAIGNS OFF TO WINNING STARTS TOO
MUNSTER opened their Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a 32-13 bonus-point victory over Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium. It was solid but far from perfect.
Tries from Jeremy Loughman, Keith Earls, Andrew Conway and a late, late James Cronin effort, along with 12 points from the boot of Tyler Bleyendaal was enough to get Munster over the line.
All the Ospreys could muster was a late try from Aled Davies, with Luke Price and James Hook kicking eight points between them.
Price opened the scoring with a successful penalty attempt after Munster were penalised at the scrum. But Munster began to build some pressure with and very nearly scored when Bleyendaal worked an overlap only, for Mike Haley to knock the ball forward with nobody in front of him.
But Bleyendaal kicked Munster ahead as the Ospreys were forced to make a lot of tackles. Price levelled the scores but Munster finally turned pressure into points with Loughman powering his way over from short range.
The try wasn’t initially awarded with television replays showing Conor Murray may have spilled the ball forward. But the television footage proved inconclusive and the try stood. Bleyendaal converted to give the visitors a 13-6 lead at half-time.
Munster carried on from where they left off in the early stages of the second-half with the Ospreys forwards unable to match the home sides dynamic ball carriers.
The visiting forwards went through the phases before the ball was spun wide for Earls to sneak in at the corner.
Earls’ try was referred to the television match official due to Hanno Dirksen’s brave tackle but the replays proved the wingers’ foot had not been in touch.
Ospreys hooker Scott Otten cheaply surrendered possession from the restart which put the result beyond the hosts. The ball fell into the hands of Loughman who put Conway into the clear with the Ireland international running in unopposed from 55 metres out.
Bleyendaal was successful with the conversion and Munster went in search of a try-scoring bonus point.
But to their immense credit, the Ospreys refused to throw in the towel, with Wales internationals Nicky Smith, Aled Davies and Bradley Davies a welcome sight from the replacements bench.
And Davies grabbed a late consolation try for the hosts as Munster were caught napping when he took a quickly-tapped penalty. Former British and Irish Lions utility back Hook converted but Munster finished the game by laying siege to the Ospreys line.
The Irish province were awarded a penalty and went for the corner.
In what was the last play of the match, Cronin powered his way over the line off the back of a driving lineout to secure all five points for the visitors.
Afterwards skipper Peter O’Mahony said that his side’s discipline was the disappointing area of the performance and something to work on ahead of the visit of Racing 92 to Limerick on Saturday evening.
‘Parts were very good but we’ve a lot to work on,’ he said. ‘I thought they played quite well, they put us under a lot of pressure in the first half. We got very little attacking platform – certainly lineout wise – it didn’t feel like we had a huge amount of platform.
‘I thought we defended quite well but one thing for me was the discipline – certainly away from home, it’s something we’d hang our hat on but we were ill-disciplined if anything. But our attack shape was good at times.’
Johann van Graan was pleased that Munster claimed the late bonus, saying: ‘That last try could be vital. It doesn’t matter when you score as long as you get four. The last two years we started the Champions Cup with draws away from home so we were happy to get the win tonight.
‘But we gave away too many high shots and we will have to improve our discipline next week. We exploited some areas of space which was pleasing and we created some nice set play.
‘Most games in the world of rugby are won in the second half. It was a titanic battle and we are grateful to have won.’
Opposite number Allen Clarke felt that the scoreline was harsh on his
Ospreys but did not seek to use the absence of some key players as an excuse. The hosts were without Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, George North, Owen Watkin and Adam Beard, still not back after they finished fourth in Japan.
‘I thought we battled hard and showed a lot of tenacity and fight against a very good side who competed in every department against us,’ Clarke said.
‘The scoreline probably did us a disservice in terms of the effort we
put out there on the field. We know the quality we have missing and where we are as a club. What happened tonight will hold us in good stead for the future.’
Ospreys: C Evans (J Hook 62); H Dirksen, T Thomas-Wheeler, S Williams (K Williams 60), T Williams; L Price, S Venter (A Davies 51); R Jones (N Smith 51), S Otten (I Phillips 60), M Fia (G Gajion 70), M Orle, L Ashley (B Davies 51), D Lydiate (capt), M Morris (S Cross 51), O Cracknell. scOrers: Tries: A Davies, con: L Price. pens: L
Price (2).
MunsTer: M Haley; A Conway (S Arnold 72), C Farrell, R Scannell (D Goggin 68), K Earls; T Bleyendaal, C Murray (A Mathewson 66); J Loughman, N Scannell, J Ryan (51), S Archer, J Kleyn (T Beirne 55), B Holland, P O’Mahony (capt), CJ Stander, T O’Donnell (A Botha 59) scOrers: Tries: J Loughman, K Earls, A Conway, J Cronin. cons: Bleyendaal (3). pens: Bleyendaal (2). referee: K Dickson (Eng).