Staunton batters Bristol

Munster 31

For while new coach Alan Gaffney fielded an experimental side and used 29 players for his first match since taking over from Declan Kidney, the Munster scoring spree was topped and tailed by old warhorse Mick Galwey who belied his semi-retirement status with tries at either end of the second half.

And in between came two tries from fly-half Jeremy Staunton and another from substitute full-back Kevin O’Riordan.

With virtually all his first-choice players either injured or on international training duty with Ireland, Gaffney offered several fringe members of the set-up their chance to impress.

Mossie Lawlor started at centre alongside Dominic Holland, with Tom Cregan and John Lacey on the wings, while Mike Prendergast and Jeremy Staunton stepped up from the bench to deputise for regular half-backs Peter Stringer and Ronan O’Gara. The front row saw Padraig Brennan and Rob Laffan pack down either side of James Blaney while Jim Williams made his debut as captain in the back row with Colm McMahon and Peter Malone on his flanks. And while youth was given its chance elsewhere, the semi-retired Mick Galwey was selected alongside Donncha O’Callaghan in the second row.

For the visitors, number eight Ross Beattie captained a side missing Argentine star Agustin Pichot but containing England second row Garath Archer. But the changes did not detract from an entertaining run out in front of a good pre-season crowd of around 2,000 fans.

Bristol, just two-and-a-half weeks from the start of the Zurich Premiership campaign, were much the sharper out of the blocks and it took a Jim Williams tackle in the seventh minute to halt a fluent attacking move from the Shoguns just short of the line.

Williams made his presence felt again when Munster engineered their first attack of the game five minutes later. Carrying the ball into enemy territory, he provided the springboard for Staunton to run the gauntlet on the Bristol 22 and release Lawlor on the left wing before the Irish U-21 captain was tackled into touch.

It was Bristol who drew first blood, however, when full-back Lee Best ran in for the opening try on 20 minutes. The conversion was missed by out-half Shane Drahm but the visitors carried their 5-0 lead into the half-time break. Gaffney instituted a flurry of changes at the interval, most notably handing debuts to scrum-half Dom Malone, a summer signing from Northampton, and the returning back row Eddie Halvey.

The second half, which was split into two 20 minute quarters, started at a lively pace and Munster were soon on the board when Galwey sprung into action to land a try. Staunton’s conversion edged Munster in front at 7-5 but Bristol quickly retook the lead with a try from Brendon Daniel. Again Drahm missed the conversion and Munster went ahead yet again on the hour with a try from substitute full-back O’Riordan.

The final quarter saw Munster run away with the contest thanks to two tries from Staunton. The Garryowen star showed his versatility by converting them himself and the evening was capped in high style when Galwey rallied to add another try.

The Shoguns now move onto the Sportsgrounds in Galway where they take on Connacht tonight at 6pm and wind up their Irish tour on Saturday in Longford where they will join with Leinster in a spot of shadow boxing ahead of the Heineken Cup group meetings later on this season.

MUNSTER: D Crotty (K O’Riordan h-t); T Cregan (C Mahony 45), M Lawlor (J Vincent 75), J Holland, J Lacey; J Staunton, M Prendergast (D Malone h-t); P Brennan (J Cullinan 55), J Blaney (J Fogarty h-t), R Laffan (J Roche 75), D O-Callaghan, M Galwey (B Buckley 75); P Malone (E Halvey h-t), C McMahon (D

Bowles 75), J Williams (capt) (U O`Callaghan 75).

BRISTOL: L Best; P Christophers, T Luke, M Shaw, B Daniel; S Drahm, P Hodgson; D Crompton, N McCarthy (C Rowland 70), E Bergamaschi, A Sheridan, G Archer, C Morgan, M Lipman (R Oakley 70), R Beattie (capt).

Referee: D Tyndall (Leinster)