Celtic League: Munster sweep to victory

Caerphilly 18 Munster 61

Ireland international centre Mick Mullins helped himself to four tries

as Munster swept to the top of Pool B in the Celtic League.

The Irish provincial champions made it four wins out of five in the new

competition and the eight tries they scored at Virginia Park saw them

move ahead of Neath at the head of the table.

Caerphilly, without a win so far this season, never looked likely to end

that dismal run.

Munster could afford the luxury of making 13 changes from the side that

defeated Newport last Friday.

The hosts did manage to take an early lead with the first of two tries

for wing Ken Morris but their joy was to be short lived.

Jeremy Staunton and Stuart Lawrence traded penalties and then in the

13th minute Munster prop Marcus Horan was sin-binned for deliberately

preventing a quick penalty.

Despite being a man down however, Munster were leading 18-8 by the time

Horan returned courtesy of tries from lock Donncha O’Callaghan and wing

John Kelly.

Morris’ second try reduced the arrears but in the run-up to half time

Mullins struck twice as the Irish side turned round 30-15 ahead.

Caerphilly put up some staunch resistance in the third quarter to

restrict Munster to just a Horan try.

But in the final quarter it was one-way traffic as former Wallaby number

eight Jim Williams claimed their sixth try and Mullins completed a superb

individual night with two more.

Sat, 4 May 02 6 WSLP Cardiff v Swansea Postponed - now being played Sat,

Sept 22 2001

Sat, 22 Sep 01 213 WSLP Swansea v Cardiff Postponed - now being played

Sat, May 4 2002

Fri, 14 Sep 01 15 RUCELA Swansea v Leinster Postponed - now being played

Sat, Sept 15

Sat, 15 Sep 01 179 RUCELB Connacht v Caerphilly Postponed - now being

played Sun, Sept 16