Munster win puts them top of table

FT: Neath-Swansea Ospreys 18 Munster 20

Munster moved the Neath-Swansea Ospreys closer to the Heineken Cup exit door as they moved to the top of Pool 4 with a second consecutive win.

Peter Stringer scored the only try of a fiercely-fought encounter played out before a sell-out crowd of 10,280 at The Gnoll.

Ronan O’Gara weighed in with five penalties to crown an imperious display at fly-half.

For the Ospreys, Gavin Henson landed six kicks out of nine for a match haul of 18 points.

Despite there being only one try, the match was a gripping affair with huge commitment and some outstanding defensive work on both sides.

Ireland international Stringer had nudged his team in front five minutes into the second half with a brilliant opportunist try.

Feeding a scrum five metres out, the scrum-half spotted Shane Williams had drifted infield to mark John Kelly and Stringer rounded home flanker James to claim the score.

The Ospreys threw everything into attack in the final minutes but Munster, drawing on their vast European experience, held firm.

The Welsh side are left with difficult task after losing their opening two games in the group.

They were ahead 12-9 at half-time thanks to a big pack effort and the boot of Gavin Henson.

Henson landed four penalties as Munster were forced to repeatedly transgress as a means of stopping the fired-up home forwards.

The fly-half found his range in the third minute after Munster were penalised for a high tackle on Jason Spice 35 metres out.

But O’Gara levelled matters soon after by punishing an offside on the home 10-metre line.

Munster were adept at turning pressure into points and O’Gara gave them the lead with a 30-metre shot in the 14th minute.

There was little flowing rugby but the commitment was intense.

Henson equalised before putting the Ospreys in front with a superbly struck 41-metre penalty.

But the hosts’ momentum was checked on 21 minutes when they had wing Richard Mustoe yellow-carded for tackling an opponent off the ball.

Mustoe was actually lucky the officials missed an apparent stamp on Marcus Horan, who had to leave the field to have seven stitches in a head wound.

Had referee Joel Jutge spotted the incident Mustoe might have seen red rather than yellow.

On 34 minutes it was Munster’s turn to have their numbers cut after Jim Williams was binned for handling at a ruck.

Henson extended the home lead, only for O’Gara to complete his hat-trick as the kicking duel continued.

Then Stringer struck, and despite a big finish the Ospreys could not reclaim the lead.