Updated at 23.25
MUNSTER EARNED A 39-22 victory over Southern Kings in the Guinness PRO14 Final Series at Outeniqua Park in South Africa today.
The Irish side ultimately secured a bonus-point win, scoring six tries overall.
Niall Scannell, Calvin Nash, CJ Stander, Dan Goggin, Rhys Marshall and Dave Kilcoyne all crossed over for the visitors, who recovered from being 15-13 down at half-time to claim the win.
Andisa Ntsila, Stephan Greeff and Michael Makase scored what proved to be consolation tries for the hosts.
👑 @SouthernKingsSA take the lead!
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) April 7, 2018
A crafty grubber from Berton Klaasen 👟🏉 and offload from Michael Makase 💁♂️ lays it open for Andisa Ntsila to go over.
📺 Watch on @TG4TV or @SuperSportTV.#KINvMUN #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/0kL9iBzXzs
An Ian Keatley penalty gave his side a first-half lead, before Southern Kings capitalised after Gerbrandt Grobler’s yellow card, with tries from Ntsila and Greeff seeing the South African side take a 12-3 lead, before a Masixole Banda penalty increased their advantage.
Back to 15 men ✅
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) April 7, 2018
Back in the game ✅
Calvin Nash puts @Munsterrugby within two points of @SouthernKingsSA at the break.
📺 Watch on @TG4TV or @SuperSportTV.#KINvMUN #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/tURDTAtgGr
However, Munster fought back well with two tries in quick succession just before the break. A Scannell score from close range made it 15-8, before Nash took advantage of a gap in the opposition defence to sprint through and reduce the deficit further.
Strength from @CJStander 💪@Munsterrugby's star in Europe puts them in the lead in South Africa.
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) April 7, 2018
📺 Watch on @TG4TV or @SuperSportTV.#KINvMUN #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/4SLRf4s0Py
Shortly after half-time, the Irish province re-took the lead, with CJ Stander powering over the line, following good initial work by Keatley.
What 😮 An 😮 Offload 😮@DanGoggin121113 benefits from some ruthless counter-attacking rugby to give @Munsterrugby a cushion over @SouthernKingsSA.
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) April 7, 2018
📺 Watch on @TG4TV or @SuperSportTV.#KINvMUN #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/09kIuciq9v
The bonus-try arrived shortly thereafter. A well-worked move ended with Goggin crossing over, after Nash made the initial break.
It was only a consolation try, but what a try 👏@SouthernKingsSA go the length of the pitch and Michael Makase scores for the hosts.#KINvMUN #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/VME0oslYac
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) April 7, 2018
Late tries from Marshall and man-of-the-match Kilcoyne proved to be icing on the cake, before the hosts’ registered the final scores of the game, with Makase finishing off an impressive team try and Banda converting to give the final score a slightly more respectable look from the home side’s perspective.
Munster:
15. JJ Hanrahan
14. Calvin Nash
13. Dan Goggin
12. Rory Scannell
11. Alex Wootton
10. Ian Keatley
9. James Hart
1. James Cronin
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Gerbrandt Grobler
6. Dave O’Callaghan
7. Conor Oliver
8. CJ Stander (captain)
Replacements:
16. Rhys Marshall
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Brian Scott
19. Billy Holland
20. Jack O’Donoghue
21. Jack Stafford
22. Stephen Fitzgerald
23. Robin Copeland
Southern Kings:
15. Masixole Banda
14. Michael Makase
13. Jacques Nel
12. Berton Klaasen
11. Yaw Penxe
10. Martin Du Toit
9. Godlen Masimla
1. Schalk Ferreira (captain)
2. Stephan Coetzee
3. Pieter Scholtz
4. Stephan Greeff
5. Bobby De Wee
6. Andisa Ntsila
7. Martinus Burger
8. Ruaan Lerm
Replacements:
16. Alandre Van Rooyen
17. Justin Forwood
18. Luvuyo Pupuma
19. Lubabalo Mtyanda
20. Lusanda Badiyana
21. Rudi Van Rooyen
22. Ntabeni Dukisa
23. Luzuko Vulindlu
Referee: Lloyd Linton [SRU].
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Thanks for such a comprehensive match report.
@Jim Demps: it says ‘more to follow’ Jim, keep your knickers on!
@The Irish Pain: my comment will still apply when that happens
@The Irish Pain: to be fair he’s right, the game finished hours ago.
@Jim Demps: Jim the game was live on TG4.
@Jim Demps: It was on tv
@running man: I know. I watched it. I was hoping to read what the professional pundit thought of it too. In my view I thought although munster were slow to start, they were clearly the better team. Good performances from o callaghan, Oliver, goggin and a much improved performance from James Hart. He hasn’t been great recently but I thought he was quite proficient at the base of the ruck. Finally I thought Grobler had a fine game. I know he’s only on a one season contract but the munster management should consider extended that. He’s a big, athletic second row and although he picked up a yellow ( a very harsh call I thought ) he had a very good game.
@Jim Demps: I don’t think they need to keep Grobbler. They will have Klyne, Holland, Beirne, D O’Callaghan, D O’Shea next season and only Beirne will be away for international games.
@Alex Quinn: o Callaghan isn’t a second row at this standard and Kleyn could be gone on international duty too. Holland will be a year older as well. I’d be in favor of keeping him.
@Jim Demps: Klyne isn’t available for Ireland until Aug 19. That’s fair enough about DOC, Wycherley and G. Coombes should be pushing to play more regularly next season too?
@Alex Quinn: you’re right, Wycherley and Coombes look like the business. Coombes is backrow though I think. It’s a long season and we probably need 6 locks for the durations to cover injuries, international break etc, Beirne, Kleyn, Holland, o Shea, Wycherley +? I think keeping Grobler would be a good move. He knows the system and is definitely up to the standard
@Jim Demps: Good win. Hopefully Cronin is ok, don’t need any more injuries. Oliver, Goggin and Hart were really good. Massive last few mins in the first half and some great tries in the 2nd. A stupid and deserved yellow from Grobler allowed Kings to make a game of it. Randomly bringing him into the conversation in a positive way won’t detract from the mess his signing was.
@Jim Demps: Jesus man it’s Saturday night, give the guys a break
@Leo Erah: “game” loosely used. A snore fest
Fair play to the Munster fans, huge support there for the team.
@Mikarlachenko: tool
What a way to mark your appearance in a competitive match by captaining, scoring and winning on the very pitch in your hometown.
Well wear CJ Stander.
@PatD: No Pat, you don’t get it. Im talking about the fact that CJ played a professional rugby match in his hometown of George, which he’d never done before. And it was a special occasion because he grew up there.
We’re used to him marking his appearances in Thomond/IIE by scoring. But this was special to him.
@Gavin Mitchell: He deserved MOTM as well if you ask me , looks of tackles , got over the gainline and won a superb turnover along with captaining and scored a try
Is the report coming by morse code? This game finished hours ago
@Trevor Beacom: g
@Trevor Beacom: google it pal
@Trevor Beacom: Watched it live on tv
Loves kissing the missus..
@PScald: was about to say it..loves the post match fondy!
Yup King CJ
Some great tries scored today.. JJ looked good at full back and young Fitzgerald should get more game time…
Dave Kilcoyne deserves way more International caps . He’s so productive getting over the gain line and his scrummaging has improved no end. Fit Cian Healy is number 1 but if he knuckles down in scrummaging I’d have him over McGrath on the bench
Stephen Fitzgerald & Calvin Nash played well.
Calvin Nash & Srephen Fitzgerald played well.
that consolation try is outrageous.
@Old Gordon: ya at least 2 forward passes! :L
He missed her gob.
@Tomás O’Loughlin: Who wouldn’t?
@Sean Dilligan: She’s a beautiful woman no doubt. But…a poor carry I can live with, a poor offload, I can live with. But he mis-gobbed his Mrs. Unforgivable.
Any news on Cronin?Looks bad with big games on the horizon. He’s also not long back from injury and playing well.
@Gibson O Driscoll: the physio as he came off indicated he dislocated his shoulder. That could be that for the rest of the season. Will be a big loss over the next few weeks.