Munster put an end to Stormers’ 21-game run

Rowntree’s Munster got their URC knockout hopes and Champions Cup qualification back on track when they ended a 21-match unbeaten run by the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium.

The reigning URC champions salvaged a couple of bonus points with a late try and might have extended their home run if Manie Libbok had returned better than two from six kicks.

But Munster were good value for a win they needed more than their hosts.

Hooker Diarmuid Barron crossed twice for a 12-0 lead but Stormers hit back through tighthead Frans Malherbe while winger Seabelo Senatla was in the bin, and centre Ruhan Nel to tie the game 12-12 at the break.

The introduction of Ben Healy for Jack

Willemse 7, Hartzenberg 7 (Blommetjies 72, 5), Nel 8, du Plessis 6, Senatla 7, Libbok 5, de Wet 6 (Jantjies 55, 6); Kitshoff (c) 7 (Vermaak 72, 5), Dweba 6 (Kotze 64, 6), Malherbe 7 (Fouche 72, 5), van Heerden 6 (van Rhyn 67, 6), Orie 6, Engelbrecht 7 (Theunissen 64, 6), Dixon 6 (Roos 47, 7), Dayimani 7

Haley 7, Nash 7, Frisch 6, Fekitoa 6, Daly 7 (Earls 65, 6), Crowley 6 (Healy 55, 8), Murray 7 (Casey 72, 5); Loughman 6 (J Wycherley 75, 5), Barron 7 (Buckley 65, 7), Archer 6, Kleyn 7 (F Wycherley 52, 6), Snyman 8 (Kleyn 65), O’Mahony (c) 9, Kendellen 7 (O’Donoghue 51, 6), Coombes 7 (Knox 78, 5)

Crowley at outside-half injected penetration to the Munster the game and after a good kick from the Edinburgh-bound player, his superb pass wide for full-back Mike Haley ended with Shane Daly getting around Senatla to score in the left corner with an excellent try.

Healy, having let the shot clock creep down to the final seconds, landed a superb touchline conversion to lead 19-12 after 58 minutes.

Stormers hit back and got a try from captain Steve Kitshoff after going to the left corner with a penalty after 66 minutes but Libbok missed the conversion to level.

Munster pushed on in the closing stages and built several phases after Healy kicked a penalty to touch down the right and multiple phases later ended with Gavin Coombes scoring under the posts for his tenth try of the season.

Libbok’s dodgy form off the tee continued when he missed two late penalties, the cost of which became all the more apparent when Nel got in for his second try at the death under the posts which secured two bonus points but was not enough to maintain their long unbeaten home run.