Oh Danny boy!
RUGBY UNION RED CARD CAPS BAD WEEK FOR CIPRIANI
DANNY CIPRIANI capped a bad week with a firsthalf red card for a high tackle which sent 14-man Gloucester spinning to a Champions Cup defeat at Thomond Park.
Cipriani, snubbed by Eddie Jones on Thursday when England’s autumn series squad was named, was sent off in the 28th minute by French referee Alexandre Ruiz after his right shoulder made contact with the head of Munster centre Rory Scannell.
Tries from Mike Haley and Rhys Marshall gave Munster a 15-3 half-time lead, with Gloucester also having lock Tom Savage sin-binned.
The Irish province, who gained a draw at Exeter in round one, had their bonus point by the 55th minute thanks to manof-the-match Joey Carbery’s first European try in the red jersey and a Sam Arnold score.
Andrew Conway added a fifth try in front of a 23,068-strong crowd but Munster’s poor discipline saw them finish with 13 players – replacements Arnold and Stephen Archer both saw yellow – as Gloucester rallied superbly with tries from former Munster lock Gerbrandt Grobler, Jason Woodward and the excellent Ben Morgan.
Rejigged
Already down a few bodies, including Gallagher Premiership top try-scorer Charlie Sharples (hamstring), Gloucester rejigged their front row before kick-off with Fraser Balmain (illness) dropping out.
They got off to a bright start by disrupting Munster’s lineout and Val Rapava-ruskin, Balmain’s replacement, won a scrum penalty.
Munster were fortunate to get away with just a penalty for CJ Stander’s collapsed maul, before a Tadhg Beirne turnover lifted the hosts and they soon took advantage after the match officials deemed Savage’s shoulder-led clearout on Dan Goggin worthy of a yellow card.
Munster 36 Gloucester 22
Booming
Good width from Munster put full-back Haley over in the right corner. Carbery (above) swept the conversion wide, and Munster captain Peter O’mahony coughed up a penalty which Cipriani turned into three points with a booming longrange kick.
However, the 30-year-old England fly-half received his marching orders a few minutes later, being caught too upright in a tackle on Scannell which also involved Rapava-ruskin.
Carbery sent the penalty over for 8-3 and he converted after Billy Twelvetrees was pinged for another high tackle and hooker Marshall struck from an impressive lineout maul. A serious injury forced Tommy O’donnell off before halftime, and for Gloucester Tom Marshall joined Franco Marais on the sidelines as their line-up was impacted further. Carbery wrapped around Goggin to raid in beside the posts in the 50th minute, and his behind-the-back pass ended in an Arnold try that made it 29-3. But Gloucester were not finished. Grobler scored from close in and full-back Woodward crossed in the corner. Conway claimed another try for Munster, via Carbery’s soft hands. But it was a disappointing end for the new Pool 2 leaders as Morgan burrowed over at the death. Tries: Haley, Marshall, Carbery, Arnold, Conway. Pen: Carbery. Cons: Carbery (4) Tries: Grobler, Woodward, Morgan. Pen: Cipriani Cons: Twelvetrees (2)