Munster secure bonus point win against battling Scarlets

MUNSTER 42

The power of Gavin Coombes and the panache of Conor Murray guided Munster to a bonus-point victory that enabled them to move up five places in the United Rugby Championship table as they got their title defence back on track.

Coombes powered over for two trademark tries to lay the groundwork for the victory at Parc Y Scarlets, while Murray ensured the right choices were made in the second half when there was a brief glimpse of hope for the home side.

The Scarlets might have been down on their luck, boasting only two league wins this season, but they offered much greater resistance than earlier in the season and made Munster work hard for everything they got.

The last time the two teams had met, it was Munster who came out on top in a 12 try thriller that saw both teams score six times in a 49-42 home win in Cork. Munster had won on their previous visit on their last league visit to Parc Y Scarlets, 49-13.

Dwayne Peel’s men don’t have a great record against Irish sides and coming into this game they had to go back to 22 March 2021 for their last success, a 41-36 victory over Connacht. Since then they had lost eight games in a row, conceding 45 tries.

But there were no gimmees for Munster as they looked to climb the URC table to edge nearer to the play-off places. Home outside half Dan Jones, celebrating his 150th appearance, kicked his side deep into the Munster 22 from a penalty in the sixth minute, but their driving maul got wrapped up and from the scrum they conceded a penalty.

When Munter got the chance to use their driving line-out soon after, they managed to turn it into the first points of the game. The drive may not have been perfect, but from a penalty for side-entry, hooker Niall Scannell took the tap five metres out and No 8 Gavin Coombes was able to bare his way over as first receiver.

Joey Carberry had no problem in adding the extras and 12 minutes later did the same again when Coombes struck for the second time. Once again, the Scarlets defence made them work hard for the score after conceding two penalties after Carberry had kicked his side deep into the 22.

It stayed at 14-0 up to the break and Munster always looked the more likely team to score again. They might well have done so had they not lost two line-outs on the bounce 10 metres out.

That galvanised the home side and finally got the 7,039 strong home crowd on their feet. They then got something to really shout about in the 50th minute when out of nowhere Joe Roberts, the centre released from Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad, went clean through the middle of the Munster defence before racing 40 metes to the line to score.

Charlie Titcombe added the conversion and all of a sudden it was game on. Not for long, though, as Murray picked out his forwards for drive after drive and the brave home side into brutal submission.

Four tries flowed in the final quarter as normal service was resumed. Jack O’Sullivan got the first, Sean O’Brien made the running for Tom Ahern to bag the next and then the wing got one himself.

Finally, Shay McCarthy was set free for try No 6 – all of which were converted by Carberrry.

Scorers for Scarlets: Try: J Roberts; Con: C Titcombe. 

Scorers for Munster: Tries: G Coombes 2, J O’Sullivan, T Ahern, S O’Brien, S McCarthy; Cons: J Carberry 6.

SCARLETS: J McNicholl; T Lewis, J Roberts, E James, I Nicholas; D Jones, A Hughes; K Mathias, E Swart, H O’Connor; A Craig, S Lousi – captain; J Taylor, D Davis, V Fifita.

Replacements: H Thomas, W Jones, S Wainwright, J Price, T Leatherbarrow, E Jones, C Titcombe, S Evans.

MUNSTER: M Haley; S O’Brien, A Frisch, A Nankivell; S Daly; J Carbery, C Murray; J Loughman, N Scannell, O Jager; T Ahern, RG Snyman; R Quinn, A Kendellen - captain, G Coombes.

Replacements: E Clarke, J Wycherley, J Ryan, F Wycherley, J O’Sullivan, E Coughlan, R Scannell, S McCarthy.