Munster 17

Lions 10

Kevin Fallon reports from Thomond Park

MUNSTER KICKED off the post-Graham Rowntree era with a badly needed URC win over a battling Lions side at Thomond Park.

In the process, they prevented a fourth successive league loss for the first time in 20 years, but they were made to battle by a Lions side on their first visit to Limerick.

The Lions defence was strong and dealt with the early onslaught but Munster finally found a way through after 15 minutes when Thaakie Abrahams scored his first try for the province since his summer move from Lyon.

The South African created the move after being put away by Alex Nankivell. While the Lions got back to smother him, Munster kept the ball alive and continued to attack inside the 22. When the ball came back to Abrahams he bustled his way through the tackles of Marius Louw and Kade Wolhuter to score, with Billy Burns adding the extras.

But the Lions refused to be rattled and while Gavin Coombes and Alex Kendellen led a good defence to deny them after Abrahams was nabbed following a good kick from Wolhuter, the South Africans grew in confidence.

They were strong in the scrum and then struck 12 minutes from the break when a jinking run from Henco van Wyk ended with a superb try when he escaped seven tackles. While it was a quality score, the Munster review will make for painful viewing.

Wolhuter added the conversion to tie the sides and he edged them in front four minutes later when another break from van Wylk stretched the home cover and the out-half landed a penalty from 40 metres to lead 10-7 at the break.

Munster hit back two minutes after the restart. Once again Abrahams was in the instigator, doing well to retain possession in the tackle down the right before sending Shane Daly, an interval replacement for full-back Mike Haley, away for his 20th try for the province but Burns pulled the conversion wide.

The try lifted Munster and with league debutants Evan O’Connell, playing in the second row where his uncle Paul inspired the province for years, and short-term signing Dian Bleuler making an impact in the front row, they pushed forward.

The pressure eventually told — Alex Kendellen got in to score on 54 minutes after O’Connell was denied a debut try.

Burns missed conversion from the left, so the lead was just seven points going into the final quarter.

The Lions pressed forward and looked set to score when they mounted a 12-phase move inside the home 22. But it ended when Abrahams managed to intercept a pass with a boot to mount a counter-attack from deep, which came to nothing, after a couple of hacks.

Munster dug in defensively as the Lions, who lost their winning start to the season last time out against Leinster in Dublin, piled on the pressure in a bid to save the game.

Yet the visitors had to settle for a bonus point as Munster maintained an unbeaten record against South African teams in Thomond Park.

Now the focus switches to the Champions Cup and the visit of Stade Francais to Thomond Park next weekend.

Munster: Mike Haley (Shane Daly 41), Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams, Billy Burns (Tony Butler 61), Ethan Coughlan (Paddy Patterson 52), Dian Bleuler (Kieran Ryan 68), Diarmuid Barron (c) (Niall Scannell 60), John Ryan (Stephen Archer 56), Evan O’Connell (Ruadhán Quinn 71), Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen (John Hodnett 56), Gavin Coombes. 

Lions: Quan Horn, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk (Erich Cronje 70), Marius Louw (c), Edwill van der Merwe (Tapiwa Mafura 74), Kade Wolhuter (Sanele Nohamba 45), Morne van den Berg, Juan Schoeman (Morgan Naude 56), PJ Botha, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Conraad van Vuuren 56), Ruben Schoeman (Reinhard Nothnagel 58), Ruan Delport, Jarod Cairns, WJ Steenkamp (JC Pretorius 70), Francke Horn 

Referee: Adam Jones (Wales).