Munster on course for more Cup success

Munster 20 Neath-Swansea Ospreys 10

Munster remained on course for a seventh successive Heineken Cup quarter-final in three months’ time as they battered away the best the Neath-Swansea Ospreys could throw at them for a 20-10 pool four victory at Thomond Park.

Alan Gaffney’s men chalked up their fourth pool win and third success against Neath-Swansea this season as they overcame a stuttering start, during which Wales winger Shane Williams sprinted in for a sixth-minute converted score.

The Celtic League pace-setters duelled through a stop-start battle, effectively decided by two Munster tries from Anthony Foley and Christian Cullen in the final six minutes of the first half.

Injured Ronan O’Gara had an able deputy in Paul Burke, as the 31-year-old - making his first European start since joining the province in the summer – had a perfect four-from-four night with his right boot for Munster.

He opened the scoring with a 22-metre effort on five minutes.

Although 20-year-old fly-half Matthew Jones’ restart failed to go 10 metres, the Ospreys were immediately right back in it.

All Black Cullen was turned over in midfield – and with Jones’ half-back partner Jason Spice chipping over the top on the left flank, Williams had the pace to follow up past Mike Mullins and beat the cover for the touchdown.

Lyn Jones’ side – despite a territorial advantage – saw their chances of dethroning Munster of their 20-game unbeaten cup record at their Limerick home scuppered.

Pool leaders Munster’s powerful 15-minute spell at the end of the first 40 saw captain Foley score a try.

Camped deep in Welsh territory, Munster struck off a third successive scrum on 34 minutes as Foley muscled over off the base of a maul under the try-line challenges of Richie Pugh and Ryan Jones.

Burke swung over the right-sided conversion as Munster reassumed the lead at 10-7.

Things only got better for the 2002 finalists as the interval approached.

Three minutes later, Foley showed excellent skills to dink a chip through for full-back Cullen to brilliantly collect and slide over, following man-of-the-match Peter Stringer’s wide feed to his captain on the right wing.

Burke again converted with metronomic precision for a 17-7 advantage at the break.

Henson, who hit the earlier conversion, missed a 40-metre chance in first-half injury time.

Although the Ospreys had the better of the final half-hour, with Henson in at number 10 for the departed Jones, they could not breach the Munster line.

Burke and Henson swapped penalties in a disappointing final quarter.

Gaffney’s charges failed to hit top gear but did enough to warrant the win – a fourth for the Irish provinces this weekend.