Munster hopes fizzle out after more Wales woe

BRIAN CARNEY gave another glimpse of his rugby union promise with a second try-scoring appearance though it was too late to save Munster’s season from freefall.

The rugby league convert showed composure to collect Ronan O’Gara’s cross-field kick before out-pacing Justin Marshall to score Munster’s second try and at least salvage some pride on the scoreboard in the final minute of this game.

Along with the return of Anthony Foley and Anthony Horgan from long-term injury, it was the only positive aspect of a thoroughly disappointing game for Munster.

“Carney again showed some good signs and took his try well. That’s what wingers do but it’s still early days and I don’t want to put him under any more pressure. But we’re pleased with his first two appearances,” said coach Declan Kindey.

Donnacha Ryan also scored early on but Munster offered nowhere near enough in attack between the 14th and 80th minute tries to win this game while rising Wales star James Hook continued to take the game by storm with 15 points before Marshall sealed the game 14 minutes from time.

Victory took the double-chasing Welsh region up to second in the Magners League, only a point behind leaders Leinster and was the perfect warm up for their EDF Energy Cup final against Leicester.

Defeat left Munster stranded in seventh in the table with apparently little left to play for over the remaining five weeks of the season. At least Kidney will not have to return to Wales again after seeing his European and domestic campaigns end in the space of eight days across the Irish Sea.

“We will carry on to the final whistle of the season and tackle each game as it comes. There are a few young players in the front-row, back-row, half-back and out wide and coming to places like this will stand them, and us, in good stead.

“We’re disappointed with the result, we always come to win but we allowed the Ospreys to get an early score and then conceded penalties and were always chasing the game.

“There were aspects of our game that we need to take a long hard look at, especially in attack. Individual effort and application was there but we need to work on our teamwork. We responded well to the first try to get back to 7-5 but we didn’t put them under any sustained pressure.”

Munster returned to west Wales, less than half an hour down the road from where they surrendered their title as European champions in Llanelli last week. It was the last place they wanted to be, though there was some consolation in the return of Foley and Horgan as well as Federico Pucciariello and Mossy Lawlor.

But even their return could not lift Munster, with Foley the only one of the four to finish a game they never genuinely looked like winning.

Shane Williams did the damage for the first try, skipping through before feeding Hook who squeezed over on 11 minutes and added the conversion.

Ryan reduced the lead to 7-5 moments later when Tomas O’Leary was first to exploit the Ospreys defence that was out of sorts after Williams had been caught in midfield. The scrum-half stepped through before delivering the scoring pass to the big lock.

Munster escaped further punishment as Sonny Parker and Hook wasted chances though the Wales fly-half kicked two penalties either side of Donncha O’Callaghan’s yellow card for his team’s persistent infringements.

Munster threw on Ronan O’Gara to save the game at 13-5 but it was Ospreys replacement Marshall who sealed it — racing onto Jonathan Thomas’ pass from a lineout.

The Ospreys spent the last six minutes down to 14 men after Barry Williams was shown the yellow card but held out for a handsome win despite Carney clinching the late consolation score for Munster.

OSPREYS: S Terblanche; J Vaughton (N Walker, 65), S Parker, A Bishop, S Williams; J Hook, J Spice (J Marshall, 60); P James (capt), H Bennett (B Williams, 60), C Griffiths (A Jones, 58), B Cockbain, AW Jones, A Lloyd (J Thomas, 3), R Jones, S Tandy (R Pugh, 3).

Tries – J Hook, J Marshall. Cons – J Hook. Pens – J Hook (2).

MUNSTER: M Lawlor, B Carney, B Murphy, L Mafi, A Horgan (K Earls, 65); J Manning (R O’Gara, 54), T O’Leary; F Pucciariello (M Horan, 54), F Sheahan (J Flanery, 65), T Buckley; D O’Callaghan, D Ryan, A Quinlan, A Foley (capt), J O’Sullivan.

Tries – D Ryan, B Carney. Con – R O’Gara.

Referee: David Changleng (SRU) Attendance: 9,295