Understrength Munster grind out bonus point win over Zebre

Josh Wycherley scored the crucial fourth try as Munster kept their league challenge on track.

Jake Flannery of Munster on the attack. Picture: INPHO/Matteo Ciambelli

Zebre 17 Munster 34

Munster were forced to dig deep in Parma but in the end they did enough to secure the bonus-point win with an understrength win.

Josh Wycherley scored the crucial fourth try as an understrength Munster side kept their league challenge on track.

It’s an 18th win in a row over Zebre and while it was far from polished, they still managed to score five tries at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

Captain Jack O’Donoghue, Dan Goggin and Fineen Wycherley all scored to give Munster an unassailable 22-7 half-time lead.

And there were further efforts from Josh Wycherley and Diarmuid Barron in the second half as Munster cruised to the win.

Zebre out-half Timothy O’Malley dropped an early penalty attempt short but Munster eventually began to click and worked their way into opposition territory, before the hosts were pinged for not rolling away at a ruck. Replacement out-half Jack Crowley scored.

And he was involved again three minutes later when Liam Coombes worked a two-on-one on the edge and O’Donoghue touched down in the right corner.

Crowley missed the conversion and then starting No 10 Jack Flannery returned from his knock, with Munster in the ascendency at 8-0 ahead.

The next try arrived in the 29th minute when a well-worked lineout move resulted in Goggin blasting through the middle and scoring beside the posts.

Flannery’s conversion gave Munster a 15-0 lead and he converted again after Fineen Wycherley drove over from close range three minutes before the interval.

But Erich Cronjé intercepted Flannery’s rushed pass to score and the conversion from O’Malley meant Munster were 15 points ahead at the break.

O’Malley scored first in the second half too, when he slotted a penalty and the hosts came with some sustained pressure afterwards only for Munster to thwart their advances.

Scorers for Zebre: Tries - E Cronjé, J Laloifi, T O’Malley; Con - A Rizzi; Pen - T O’Malley.

Scorers for Munster: Tries - J O’Donoghue, D Goggin, F Wycherley, J Wycherley, D Barron; Cons - J Flannery (3); Pen - J Crowley.

ZEBRE: J Laloifi; P Bruno, E Cronjé, E Lucchin, J Trulla; T O’Malley, M Violi; P Buonfiglio, O Fabiani, E Bello; D Sisi, A Zambonin; L Mitchell, I Bianchi, R Giammarioli.

Replacements: G Zilocchi, L Krumov, A Fusco, A Rizzi, M Ceciliani, A Lovotti, G Bisegni, PJ Leavasa.

MUNSTER: M Gallagher; C Nash, L Coombes, D Goggin, S Daly; J Flannery, N Cronin; J Loughman, D Barron, K Knox; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue, J Hodnett, J O’Sullivan.

Replacements: J Crowley, Flannery, C Farrell, J Wycherley, R Salanoa, T Ahern, A Kendellen, J Crowley, E Coughlan, S Buckley.

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU).