Munster have too much for Leicester in Thomond

MUNSTER are top of Pool 4 in the Champions Cup after a bonus-point 33-10 win over Leicester Tigers at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

Munster lead by 23-3 at half-time as Rhys Marshall and Simon Zebo touched down with Ian Keatley in sparkling form in open play and off the tee as he kicked both conversions and three penalties.

Peter O’Mahony scored in the corner before the hour in the second half, and the fourth try and bonus-point was secured after 68 minutes following a rolling maul as Chris Cloete scored his second ever Munster try. Cloete’s try was a traditional Munster type effort and certainly pleased the near 24,000 supporters present.

JJ Hanrahan joined the action in the 75th minute with the game well over, and had very little chance to impress. Leicester head coach Matt O’Connor described Munster as cynical after the game, and with Munster travelling to Welford Road next Sunday to play the return leg, it should be a much tougher and more intense affair for the Munster lads.

The Munster A team were beaten by Bedford on a 25-14 scoreline in the British and Irish Cup. Munster A led by 14-7 at half-time, but had no answer to Bedford’s powerful second half. Currow’s Sean McCarthy scored Munster A’s second try, but overall the English side had too much power in the pack for their Munster counterparts.

The Munster ladies recorded an impressive bonus point 32-5 win over Ulster in the Inter-provincial championship played in Garryowen last Saturday. Munster lad by a single score at half time following a try from Rachel Allen, but the floodgates opened after the break as tries from Chloe Pearse, Niamh Kavanagh, Laura Sheehan and Kerry’s Edel Murphy and Christine Arthurs paved the way for a comprehensive victory.

Munster were once again captained by Siobhan Fleming and also featured Ciara Griffin and Maura Collins in their line up. Munster will now prepare to face Leinster in their final match of the Inter-provincial campaign on this Saturday at Thomond Park.