Ospreys 13
Munster 19
TADHG BEIRNE GAVE Joe Schmidt a timely nudge with a superb man-of-the-match performance as Munster beat the Ospreys in Swansea.
The Ireland international was a late call-up in place of South African Jean Kleyn who pulled out due to illness. And Beirne was outstanding winning a number of crucial turnovers to help his side solidify their position in the Conference A play-off places.
“I’d been up with Ireland and I was supposed to be training there today, but Johann rang me at eight yesterday morning and told me I was flying here,” said Beirne, who missed Ireland’s openning Six Nations rounds with a knee injury.
A penalty try and a touchdown apiece from Darren Sweetnam and Mike Haley plus two points from the boot of JJ Hanrahan was enough to get Munster over the line.
All the Ospreys could muster was a try from Hanno Dirksen and six points from Luke Price.
Munster drew first blood with Sweetnam crossing at the corner after a lovely missed pass by Hanrahan saw the winger step back inside to score.
It was young wing Keelan Giles who sparked the Welsh region into life with an electric break up the touchline after some neat handling by Price and Dan Evans. Just as he was about to get bundled into touch the former Wales Under-20 star executed a well-weighted kick through for Dirksen to score.
The try wasn’t immediately given with referee Stuart Berry deciding to go upstairs to check whether Dirksen was in front of the ball before awarding the score.
A cracking break from captain Olly Cracknell who charged into the Munster 22 allowed Price to put the Ospreys into an unlikely lead.
Munster laid siege to the Ospreys line with their forwards going through numerous phases before being held up over the try line. But they went again off the resulting scrum with Beirne reaching out in attempt to pace the ball against the post.
Yet again Berry made use of the TMO with the replays showing Ospreys openside Sam Cross preventing the try from an offside position. As a result a penalty try was awarded with Cross sent to the sin bin meaning Munster turned around 14-10 ahead.
The Ospreys came out firing in the second half with Price cutting Munster’s lead to a single point. But the visitors went up a few gears in the final quarter and after their forwards had softened up the Ospreys defence with a series of ferocious carries, the ball was spread wide for Haley to touch down.
Ospreys: Evans; Dirksen, Allen, Thomas-Wheeler (Hook 41), Giles (Morgan 64); Price, Aubrey (Morgan-Williams 54); Lay (Jenkins 64), Baldwin (Otten 64), Botha (Fia 55), King, Davies, Cracknell, Cross, McCusker (Ashley 40) (Griffiths 73)
Tries: Dirksen 19
Con: Price 19
Pen: Price 33, 64
Munster: Haley, Nash, Goggin, Taute (Scannell 50), Sweetnam (Johnston 64); Hanrahan, Cronin (Mathewson 50); Loughman (O’Connor 54), Marshall (O’Byrne 55), Archer (Parker 54), Beirne, Holland, Wycherley (O’Donoghue 71), Cloete, Botha (O’Shea 71)
Tries: Sweetnam 5, Penalty 37, Haley 71
Convs: Hanrahan 6
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He’s not as disappointed as some on relation to how far off they are? They are miles off. No offence to Munster but they are an average,though very gutsy and committed side,and they have hammers Leinster twice in a row now. I do agree that they haven’t had any continuity with combinations,especially from 9-13,and hopefully when the likes of OBrien, Healy, Moore, Teo, McFadden etc come back then there will be a big improvement.
I must take the opportunity to praise Matt O’Connor for the huge improvement in Guinness Pro12 teams. Ever since he arrived at Leinster, every other team has greatly improved. Teams, that two years ago were almost brushed aside by Leinster, have now reached the heights that Leinster once inhabited alone.
Treviso have improved, Munster have improved, Edinburgh have improved, Scarlets have improved, Dragons have improved, Zebra have improved, Connacht (brilliant tonight, by the way) have improved..
In fact, they have all improved so much that Leinster has great difficulty taking on any of them.
By extension, Wasps and Harlequins have shown just how brilliant they are too due to you Matt.
I can hardly wait to see how much Castres get better when they arrive at the RDS soon. They will build statues in your image all over the town.
Matt, you have done European rugby a great service. They have all reached and surpassed Leinster this season thanks to your input at Leinster and everywhere else.
Thank you Matt and Happy New year!.
(and also to Mr Caputo, the news paper seller. Your influence on all other teams has been exceptional)