Conor Murray completes Munster comeback in bonus-point win at ...
The Bulls, leading 22-17 and in full flow, looked set to canter to victory when Canan Moodie scored what the Loftus Versfeld faithful presumed was the bonus point try after 54 minutes.
But it all turned in Munster’s favour when referee Adam Jones went back to look at a late tackle on Craig Casey by home out-half Johan Goosen. The reckless head-on-head effort saw the try scratched, a red card issued and the game turned in Munster’s favour. The champions didn’t need a second invite.
The Bulls didn’t score after that as Munster used the extra man well and after drawing level inside four minutes of the restart, worked away patiently until striking for the bonus point winner seven minutes from time.
The score came from Conor Murray, who had to come back on the field just a few minutes after being replaced by Casey, and while the veteran international was limping from a late first-half tackle, he battled on and escaped two tackles to score the winner in a typical Munster performance that keeps the champions on course for a home quarter-final.
There was little between the sides during a bruising opening half but champions Munster got back in front and took a 17-10 advantage into the break.
Opportunities were limited for both sides as the tackle success was good from both of them but it was Munster who hit the front at the end of the opening quarter. A neat chip from Jack Crowley found touch and with the Bulls overthrowing the lineout, Munster hooker Niall Scannell pounced and drove towards the line. They went wide after a couple of surges and good hands from Alex Nankivell was key as Simon Zebo put Shane Daly in to score in the left corner.
Jack Crowley added the difficult conversion from the left to make it 7-0 after Conor Murray had earlier hit the left post with a penalty from just inside his own half which still had plenty of momentum in it when it hit the woodwork.
The Bulls responded almost immediately. Johan Goosen found an excellent touch in the right corner from deep and with Tadhg Beirne only able to tap the ball down in the contested lineout, Daly was nabbed in possession and conceded the five-metre scrum.
And the Bulls made them pay, initially surging from close range a few times before creating the space infield and skipper Erligh Louw got through Daly’s tackle and the cover of Nankivell and Zebo to score a converted try to tie the match at 7-7 after 27 minutes.
Goosen edged the Bulls in front with a penalty on the half hour after Jeremy Loughman was pinged for offside inside the 22 after the Bulls had gone for the corner after an infringement out the field by Antoine Frisch.
The Bulls looked set to build an opening half advantage after that but it was Munster who responded better and they regained the lead three minutes from the interval when RG Snyman’s long stretch managed to get the ball under Zach Burger on the line, with Crowley’s conversion pushing them five clear.
They extended that to 17-10 on the stroke of half-time when Crowley landed a difficult penalty from 47 metres on the right.
The Bulls got on top after the restart and reduced the margin when Kurt-Lee Ardense finished in the corner before hooker Johan Grobbelaar edged them in front after 50 minutes after Erligh Louw had made good ground from a tapped penalty.
Goosen tapped over the conversion but his clumsy tackle on Casey proved decisive and Munster made the most of the opportunity.
A superb crosskick from Crowley put John Hodnett in for the equalising score after 58 minutes, while good work from Zebo and Joey Carbery created the opening for Murray to somehow make the right corner for the winning score as he evaded two tackles to make the line.
Scorers:
Bulls: Tries: E Louw, KL Ardense, J Grobbelaar. Cons: J Goosen (2). Pen: Goosen.
Munster: Tries: S Daly, RG Snyman, J Hodnett, C Murray. Cons: J Crowley (2). Pen: Crowley.
Teams:
Bulls: W Le Roux (C Smith 63); S de Klerk (D Williams 76), C Moodie, D Kriel, K-L Arendse; J Goosen, E Papier (Z Burger 76); G Steenekamp (S Matanzima 69), J Grobbelaar (A van der Merwe 52), W Louw (M Smith 69); R Vermaak, JF van Heerden (J Swanepoel 59); C Hanekom (M Gumede 52), R Ludwig, E Louw (capt)
Munster: S Zebo; C Nash, A Frisch, A Nankivell (J Carbery 65), S Daly; J Crowley, C Murray; J Loughman (J Wycherley 51), N Scannell (E Clarke 63), S Archer (O Jager 63); RG Snyman (T Ahern 56), T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony (G Coombes 52), A Kendellen (J Hodnett 52), J O’Donoghue.
Referee: A Jones (Wales).
