Late penalty gives Munster victory

Munster 22 Celtic Warriors 21

An injury-time penalty by leading scorer Jeremy Staunton helped Munster complete back-to-back wins in a nail-biting finish at Thomond Park.

Staunton held his nerve impressively when landing the winning penalty into a howling wind from just outside the Warriors 22 after the Welsh went offside.

Munster, who leapfrogged their opponents in the table, ran down the clock before the game ended in a bizarre fashion.

Warriors legend Neil Jenkins kicked the ball away in anger after his side was penalised in a ruck only to flatten Scottish referee Andrew Ireland accidentally in the process.

Munster opened brightly with Staunton landing an early penalty and then converting Mike Mullins’ 15th try for a 10-0 lead.

The Warriors hit back on the half-hour with a well-constructed try scored by prop Phil Booth near the posts and Jenkins converted for 10-7.

Staunton and Jenkins exchanged penalties to leave Munster 13-10 in front at the break and playing into the strong wind.

Within 90 seconds of the re-start the Warriors levelled with a Jenkins penalty only for Staunton to edge in front again with another kick.

But that advantage lasted only a few minutes, when Shaun James set up powerful wing Aisea Havili for the Warriors’ second try which Jenkins was unable to convert.

Now 18-16 adrift, Munster nipped in front once more with a Staunton penalty after 53 minutes. Yet three minutes later Jenkins edged the Warriors back in front at 21-19.

That was the way it stayed until Staunton emerged as the Munster hero with his dramatic late penalty and completed a 17-point haul.