MUNSTER FELL JUST short in their pre-season friendly against Bath in The Rec today, fumbling a 21-12 half-time lead before falling to a three-point defeat.
There were five tries in the first half, with Munster taking the early initiative through John Hodnett touching down after seven minutes.
Austin Emens then brought the sides back on even terms with a try five minutes later followed by a second try for Bath courtesy of Jasper Spandle.
Munster’s academy winger Shay McCarthy reclaimed the lead with a try followed by Billy Burns’s second conversion of the game. Diarmuid Barron supplied Munster’s third try of the half to put them into a 21-12 lead at the break.
Bath stormed into the contest on the resumption, charging over for two tries through Jaco Coetzee and Tyler Offiah to fire them into a 24-21 lead which they maintained until the final whistle.
Next up for Munster is a home friendly against Gloucester next Friday 6 September in Virgin Media Park at 7pm. Munster start their URC campaign on 21 September with a home tie against Connacht at 5.30pm.
