Munster, who like the other Irish provinces had already qualified for the business end of  the competition prior to today’s game, produced a dominant performance against the English Premiership Rugby side.

Murray opens the scoring

Conor Murray opened the scoring in usual circumstances. With Munster dominant in possession in the opening stages of the game, Wasps knocked the ball back to Murray when attempting to prevent Tadhg Beirne receiving possession. With many of the visitors believing Beirne had knocked the ball on, some stopped playing as Murray touched down.

The TMO was called into action, with the referee deciding, Beirne hadn’t knocked on when he consulted his officials and viewed the TV footage. Ben Healy added the extras to give the hosts a 7-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the fixture.

With constant pressure from Munster, Wasps could not withstand the Munster effort and soon conceded a penalty. Healy opted to kick for the posts to extend his team’s advantage to 10-0.

Zebo now Munster’s highest try-scorer in Champions Cup

A deftly chipped through ball from Healy saw Simon Zebo, who was named in the starting team in place of Keith Earls, collect the ball and fight to touch down for his side’s second five-pointer of the afternoon, the first of two on the day for the former Racing 92 man.

The score saw the Corkman join Brian O’Driscoll as the third-highest try-scorer in Heineken Champions Cup history, and surpass the late Anthony Foley as Munster’s top try-scorer in the competition with 24 – it would become 25 later in the day. Ben Healy maintained his 100% record kicking for the posts by converting for 17-0 with less than 20 minutes on the clock.

ZEBO! ZEBO! ZEBO!

Simon Zebo becomes @Munsterrugby‘s top European try scorer, surpassing the late great Axel Foley

Look at what it means! #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/Ce5cw9soLe

— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) January 23, 2022

Dan Robson finally got the Premiership club on the scoreboard when touching down right of the Munster posts in the 26th minute. With Charlie Atkinson adding the conversion, Wasps’ delight was short-lived as Munster immediately headed downfield.

O’Donoghue try on 150th appearance in red

With Wasps scrambling to get back into position, Gavin Coombes burst through the Premiership Rugby side’s defensive effort, before Jack O’Donoghue, on his 150th appearance in red, scored his side’s third try of the afternoon. The reliable Healy kicked the two points for a 24-7 lead with only 30 minutes played.

Gavin Coombes what a carry!

Charlie Atkinson bounces off Coombs who blasts his way past the Wasps defence, setting it nicely for Jack O’Donoghue to finish for @Munsterrugby #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/olJv9DF3J0

— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) January 23, 2022

Gavin Coombes paid the price for constant Munster infringements when yellow-carded minutes before half-time. With Wasps nestled on the Munster line, the home side were penalised a number of times before Coombes was sent to the bin.

With Johann van Graan’s men missing the powerful Coombes, Wasps would have expected to cross the line, but incredible defensive work from the men in red saw them hold out with the referee eventually awarding them a penalty, which relieved the pressure.

A neck injury for Wasps’ Thomas Young saw the player treated on the field with the game stopped for 10 minutes, before being stretchered off to respectful applause from the crowd. The back-row was replaced by Ben Morris.

Half-time: Munster Rugby 24  Wasps Rugby 7

Loughman secures bonus-point try

Prop Jeremy Loughman, named in the starting team earlier in the day when Dave Kilcoyne was sick, scored his first Champions Cup try within the opening minute of the second half.

Munster, who had a penalty kick, opted for the line-out and despite the absence of Coombes, who was still in the sin-bin, the men in red powerfully drove for the try-scoring line, before Loughman crashed over.

With the bonus-point try now secured, Ben Healy added another two points to the score board, which read 31-7 in favour of Munster, with 46 minutes on the stadium game clock.

As both sides emptied their benches, an action that took the continuity and flow out of the game, it didn’t prevent Munster striking for two further tries late in the game.

Simon Zebo scored a second try to the cheers of the Munster faithful, before Rory Scannell claimed a five-pointer with the clock in red. Both scores were converted by Jack Crowley, leaving Johann van Graan’s side 45-7 victors.

Today’s game gave more valuable Champions Cup experience to some of Munster’s younger players, while veteran of 150 appearances in red, Jack O’Donoghue was named Heineken Star of the Match. The Waterford man, at 27 years of age, becomes the youngest Munster player to reach the 150 milestone.

Final score: Munster Rugby 45  Wasps Rugby 7

Munster Rugby:

15. Mike Haley, 14. Andrew Conway, 13. Chris Farrell, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Simon Zebo, 10. Ben Healy, 9. Conor Murray.

1. Jeremy Loughman, 2. Diarmuid Barron, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Jean Kleyn, 5. Tadhg Beirne, 6. Peter O’Mahony (captain), 7. Jack O’Donoghue, 8. Gavin Coombes.

Munster Replacements:

16. Scott Buckley, 17. John Wycherley, 18. John Ryan, 19. Fineen Wycherley, 20. John Hodnett, 21. Craig Casey, 22. Jack Crowley, 23. Alex Kendellen.

Try: Murray, Zebo (2), O’Donoghue, Loughman, R Scannell

Conversion: Healy 4, Crowley (2)

Pen: Healy

Wasps:

15. Ali Crossdale, 14. Marcus Watson. 13. Paolo Odogwu, 12. Michael Le Bourgeois, 11. Josh Bassett, 10. Charlie Atkinson, 9. Dan Robson.

1. Tom West, 2. Tom Cruse, 3. Elliot Millar-Mills, 4. Elliott Stooke, 5. James Gaskell, 6. Brad Shields (captain), 7. Thomas Young, 8. Nizaam Carr.

Wasps Replacements:

16. Gabriel Oghre, 17, Rodrigo Martinez, 18. Pieter Scholtz, 19. Tim Cardall, 20. Ben Morris, 21. Will Porter, 22. Rob Miller, 23. Sam Spink.

Try: Robson.

Conversion: Atkinson.

The post Two tries for Zebo as Munster Rugby claim 45-7 Champions Cup win over Wasps appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

While last Saturday’s game was relatively comfortable for Johann van Graan’s side, tonight’s fixture was a different matter. In a first half dominated by the Stormers, it took Munster until the cusp of the half-time whistle to score.

The DHL Stormers, one of the new South African sides in the United Rugby Championship, certainly showed they were worth their place in the new dual-hemisphere competition, despite the flattering final score in favour of Munster.

The home side, which saw four changes to the starting line-up from the team that achieved a bonus point win last Saturday, could not cope with the speed and slickness of passing of their visitors, who dominated both territory and possession in the opening half the fixture.

Stormers dominate possession and territory

The DHL Stormers got no more than they deserved when opening the scoring in the 9th minute of the game. The home side had found themselves pinned into their own half by the visitors before Stormers’ fullback Warrick Gelant touched down for a five-pointer. The resultant conversion attempt was missed by Mannie Libbock, who had minutes earlier missed a penalty attempt from the Munster 10m line.

Warrick Gelant dives over for the visitors’ first try – they are in total command at Thomond Park#RTERugby #URC #UnitedRugbyChampionship #MUNvSHA

Watch live – https://t.co/CStwnXwD49

Live updates – https://t.co/1kY1ebXQGP pic.twitter.com/5ELAV8aqyH

— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) October 2, 2021

The South African outfit increased their lead towards the end of the opening quarter of the game. More slick passing from the southern hemisphere side saw winger Leolin Zas run the touchline to easily claim his side’s second try of the game. This time kicker Libbok made no doubt about the conversion; he added the extra two points to move his team into a 12-0 lead.

The aforementioned Libbok soon thought he had scored his own try when it looked as though he had successfully touched down. Though the referee initially gave the score, on review and in consultation with the TMO, the team of officials decided there hadn’t been a clear grounding.

Fullback Gelant kicked a straightforward penalty on the half-hour as the Stormers extended their advantage to 15 points.

Munster finally score

It took until the clock went into red, at the end of the first period for the home side to finally get on the scoresheet. Waterford’s Jack O’Donoghue burrowed over to touch down following a powerful Munster drive to the line. With Craig Casey taking the ball from the maul, O’Donoghue soon found himself in possession, and the Waterford native showed his customary strength as he found enough room to crash over.

Some light at the end of a miserable half for Munster as Jack O’Donoghue gets over.#RTERugby #URC #UnitedRugbyChampionship #MUNvSTO

Watch live – https://t.co/HVc5TlIug2

Live updates – https://t.co/7gqDxMXpNA https://t.co/YKTHY5cgHH pic.twitter.com/4oWDUs5b2F

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 2, 2021

Joey Carbery added the conversion to send his side in at half time eight points behind the Stormers.

Half-time: Munster Rugby 7 DHL Stormers 15

The game began to change when the sin-binning of the Stormers’ lock Salmaan Moerat gave Munster a one-man advantage. Johann van Graan’s side soon made their advantage count of the scoreboard when big South African Jean Kleyn scored the Munstermen’s second try of the night. Another easy conversion for a player of Carbery’s calibre saw the hosts reduce the deficit to just a solitary point, and they still had the extra man.

Scannell and O’Donoghue add tries

Munster were soon over for another try, with Niall Scannell the beneficiary of what was also an entire team drive for the Stormers’ line. The Corkman emerged from the bottom of the pile, having put his side into the lead for the first time in the game.

Niall Scannell touches down for Munster’s third try as the hosts are rampant in the second half#RTERugby #URC #UnitedRugbyChampionship #MUNvSTO

Television Watch live – https://t.co/YsB84BIDQ7

Mobile phone Live updates – https://t.co/Sj9qb0FacJ https://t.co/uf4hHWwiuO pic.twitter.com/N23V9O27K7

— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) October 2, 2021

Despite Carbery’s conversion attempt swinging in late towards the posts, the number 10’s effort went slight wide of the left-hand post, from a difficult starting position on the touchline in front of the East Stand.

Jack O’Donoghue brought up his brace of tries, and the bonus point, when extending his side’s advantage before the 60th minute. Carbery, who had a very mixed night kicking for the posts, this time saw his effort come off the left-hand post, leaving his team 24-15 in front as the final quarter of the game approached.

Jack O’Donoghue notches Munster’s fourth try as they ram home their advantage #RTERugby #URC #UnitedRugbyChampionship #MUNvSTO

Television Watch live – https://t.co/YsB84BIDQ7

Mobile phone Live updates – https://t.co/Sj9qb0FacJ https://t.co/uf4hHWwiuO pic.twitter.com/T2yuTu6jRk

— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) October 2, 2021

Replacement Tim Swiel reduced the Munster lead to 6 points when kicking a penalty on 65 minutes for the Stormers when the home side failed to roll away.

The biggest cheer of the night from home crowd came when RG Syman scored Munster’s fifth try. O’Mahony won the lineout cleanly allowing the huge Springbok to bulldoze his way over, leaving many of his fellow countrymen in his wake as they tried in vain to stop the powerhouse.

Ben Healy, who along with Snyman, had come off the bench in the second half, added the extras for what earlier in the game would have seemed a very unlikely victory.

Healy added a 44m penalty kick right before the final whistle, meaning Munster ran out 34-18 winners.

Final score: Munster Rugby 34 DHL Stormers 18

Munster Team:

15. Mike Haley, 14. Calvin Nash, 13. Keith Earls, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Shane Daly, 10. Joey Carbery, 9. Craig Casey.

1. Dave Kilcoyne, 2. Niall Scannell, 3. Keynan Knox, 4. Jean Kleyn, 5. Fineen Wycherley, 6. Peter O’Mahony (captain), 7. Jack O’Donoghue, 8. Gavin Coombes.

Munster Rugby Replacements:

16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Jeremy Loughman, 18. Stephen Archer, 19. RG Snyman, 20. Jack O’Sullivan, 21. Rowan Osborne, 22. Ben Healy, 23. Simon Zebo.

DHL Stormers Team:

15. Warrick Gelant, 14. Sergeal Petersen, 13. Ruhan Nel, 12. Daniel du Plessis, 11. Leolin Zas, 10. Manie Libbok, 9. Stefan Ungerer.

1. Brok Harris, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 3. Neethling Fouche, 4. Adre Smith, 5. Salmaan Moerat, 6. Nama Xaba, 7. Willie Engelbrecht, 8. Evan Roos.

DHL Stormers Replacements:

16. Andre-Hugo Venter, 17. Leon Lyons, 18. Sazi Sandi, 19. Ernst van Rhyn, 20. Marcel Theunissen, 21. Godlen Masimla, 22. Tim Swiel, 23. Rikus Pretorius.

The post Munster Rugby 34 DHL Stormers 18 in United Rugby Championship appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.