As it happened: Early blitz carries Bath past Munster in Champions Cup opener
Munster dejected after conceding their fourth try of the match. Pic: Tom Maher/Inpho
Bath are bonus-point winners. Statement victory for Johann van Graan's men.
Munster penalty, and one more chance to get over the Bath line again.
Lineout is retained but Munster's Coughlan is unable to gather possession. Game over.
Bath try. Russell starts off a move that goes end-to-end in a matter of seconds. Joe Cokanasiga gathers Russell's cross-kick and runs directly at Abrahams. Ben Spencer heavily involved before Ted Hill strolls over. No joy for Russell off the tee this time.
Tom Carr-Smith replaces Spencer at scrum-half.
Another turnover attempt from Underhill but one of his teammates - Miles Reid - is punished for not rolling away.
JJ to the corner again. Lineout is good and Munster are on the march.
Ahern wins a big turnover. Hanrahan will kick this to around the 22 mark. Munster given a free-kick off the lineout and Coughlan gets a move on.
A Tom Ahern knock-on gifts possession back to Bath. Ethan Coughlan did him no favours with the pass.
Munster - through the likes of Dan Kelly and Shane Daly - building a bit of momentum but Tom Farrell's offload finds a Bath pair of hands. Santi Carreras boots downfield.
Ethan Coughlan is in for Craig Casey.
: Finn Russell lands a 50:22 but Munster steal possession off the lineout.
Play has gone a little bit scrappy of late. Possession changing hands pretty often. The latest switch over sees Sam Underhill turn Munster over when the men in red were looking to enter the Bath 22.
Fineen Wycherley has gone off - for a HIA by the looks - having just come on. Edwin Edogbo back on for the moment.
Bath penalty at the scrum. Pressure relieved. Multiple Bath replacements getting ready to come on - Kepu Tuipulotu, Francois van Wyk, Ross Molony, Ted Hill and Santi Carreras.
Craig Casey does indeed tap but there's a Munster knock-on as they attempt to get over the Bath line.
Josh Wycherley is in for Jeremy Loughman.
Cam Redpath gives away the latest Bath penalty. Didn't roll away. Tap-and-go the route Munster take from here?
Munster get possession back and Thomas du Toit gives away a penalty whilst attempting to poach the ball inside his own half.
Hanrahan to the corner and possession is - just about - retained post-lineout.
Munster possession lost as Thaakir Abrahams - isolated on the touchline - can't hold on to the ball.
Penalty Munster. Bath's Underhill punished for an off-the-ball tackle. Something needs to happen for McMillan's Munster men sooner rather than later.
Hanrahan finds touch.
Ruadhán Quinn comes in for Edwin Edogbo. Tadhg Beirne will move into the second-row.
Bath attacks breaks down and Munster have a lineout. Kick battle ensues off the back of it. Much of the game now being played in midfield. Munster need to step on the gas.
Bath penalty at the breakdown, but Spencer's kick does not go far. They continue to go to the air - through Spencer's left boot - and look to compete.
Both sides swapping possession over the last few minutes but Bath infringe at the breakdown, handing Hanrahan the chance to clear.
Spencer's box kick off the scrum is contested but is ultimately knocked on by Sam Underhill. Craig Casey's turn to feed the scrum.
Lineout is lost but Bath are still under pressure.
Until they weren't. Shane Daly spills possession. Scrum Bath.
Munster scrum following a misjudged Russell kick that ran over the dead-ball line.
The result? A win for this new Munster front-row. Penalty.
JJ Hanrahan absolutely pings it into the corner. Perfect kick.
Michael Ala'alatoa is in for his Munster debut, Lee Barron is in for his namesake Diarmuid and Alex Nankivell has replaced Diarmuid Kilgallen. England international Sam Underhill has entered the fray for Bath. Second-half underway.
Bath head down the tunnel with a 21-point cushion.
A brilliant Shane Daly kick downfield gets Munster lineout possession via a 50:22. Munster need to score.
After a number of phases, Craig Casey - in typical fashion - finds a gap around the fringes of the ruck and dots down. Try Munster.
Hanrahan converts. Half-time.
Beno Obano crashes over for another Bath try, more points off the tee for Russell. From a Munster point of view, it certainly looks a long way back now.
Bath win a free kick off their scrum and Russell pumps the ball high in the night sky. Nightmare scenario for Munster back-three on their own goal line.
Some nice play from Tom Farrell but John Hodnett spills in contact and the ball is now up the Munster end.
Penalty for Bath on the halfway mark but Finn Russell misses touch. Big le-off for Munster. Scrum time.
Penalty Munster as Ben Spencer attempts an intercept but knocks it on. No yellow card, however.
Will Stuart goes to the bin. "Pushing before the lineout", says referee Jeremy Rozier.
Munster's attempt to secure another try comes to nothing.
Bath secure possession from their own lineout and test the Munster back-three but they deal with it. Munster - and John Hodnett - earn a penalty and Hanrahan pumps it downfield. Momentum shifting at The Rec.
Tadhg Beirne claims the lineout and Munster have the advantage. We'll come back for the penalty. Into the corner it goes.
Munster try! Coombes pivotal again before Edwin Edogbo powers over. Hanrahan makes it seven. Well needed.
Side entry at the lineout from Bath, so Munster playing with advantage. Ben Spencer gets a warning.
Thaakir Abrahams' dancing feet buy Munster a penalty, and Hanrahan goes to the corner. They need something, even at this early stage.
Big Coombes carry forces a Bath infringement at the ruck. Back to the corner we go.
Bath maul the visitors over. Tom Dunn the scorer. That's their bonus-point try. We've only played 18 minutes.
More extras for Russell. Tadhg Beirne back on for Munster.
More errors hands Bath possession deep in Munster territory. Scrum time. And penalty time too. For Bath that is.
Into the corner Russell goes.
And another Bath try. Gavin Coombes and Tom Ahern find a gap but the ball is somehow robbed. Cam Redpath kicks forward and Henry Arundell gladly races in to score. Russell converts the conversion. 21-0. Munster in deep trouble.
Another try for Bath. Finn Russell pulling the strings and Miles Reid is the one to punch a hole in the Munster defence. Russell adds the extras. 14-0.
Munster under pressure once more, and Diarmuid Barron's throw is not straight deep in his own half. Scrum Bath.
Penalty try for Bath, and Munster captain Tadhg Beirne goes to the sin bin.
Another lineout goes wrong for Munster. Spencer kicks downfield and Shane Daly has little choice but to concede five metres out.
Bath will look to maul over here.
Munster lineout ball is not clean, Spencer clears but McMillan's men still in good position.
Lineout lost again.
Inside two minutes and both sides have already got their hands on the ball. Ben Spencer clears his lines and Munster are handed an early penalty from the lineout.
Hanrahan kicks to the corner.
JJ Hanrahan kicks off. We're underway at The Rec, with the rain coming down.
To add to the earlier news of Jean Kleyn's withdrawal from the Munster matchday squad, Michael Milne has been ruled out after "picking up a knock". Jeremy Loughman starts with Josh Wycherley coming onto the bench.
Pre-match thoughts of Bath boss Johann van Graan:
🛁 @BathRugby head coach Johann van Graan on what lies ahead at The Rec tonight
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) December 6, 2025
"Two amazing clubs, rich history in this compeition, and both playing some pretty good rugby." 🗣️#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/hQW65hhDTI
Here's what Munster centre Tom Farrell had to say earlier in the week:
As Farrell's province prepare to face a powerhouse Bath side at The Rec on Saturday night, he knows it is going to take a “complete performance”.
"Just a complete performance,” Farrell said. “We can't really rely on one aspect of our game.
"It probably won't be enough. We're going to need every aspect of our game, our attack, our defence, our set-piece, everything firing because if one of them is missing, it probably won't be enough going over here, to be honest.
"We're fully aware of it. I was only watching their game against Sarries (a 36-29 win at Saracens last Sunday).
"Even the names they have on paper, but some of the lads who weren't even in the 23, we know that they're probably going to come in this week and add even more depth that they have."
Welcome back to another - we'll provide minute-by-minute updates from The Rec as English Premiership big guns Bath host Munster in the opening round of the Champions Cup.
In team news, Jack Crowley has been ruled out with an ankle injury as Clayton McMillan makes a number of changes to the side that faced the Stormers last weekend.
Crowley has been replaced at number 10 by JJ Hanrahan as Munster go to the home of Johann van Graan’s English champions.
A late change to the side originally named sees Edwin Edogbo, due to be among the replacements, promoted to start as Jean Kleyn withdraws for personal reasons.
Fineen Wycherley takes Edogbo's place on the bench.
Ex-Munster boss van Graan's Bath have strength in depth with stars of the ilk of Springbok tighthead Thomas du Toit, England forwards Ted Hill and Sam Underhill and former Leinster lock Ross Molony, as well as Argentina star playmaking back Santi Carreras all named on the bench.
Scotland and Lions fly-half Finn Russell starts at 10 in half-back partnership with captain and England scrum-half Ben Spencer while English standouts from November Max Ojomoh and Guy Pepper start at outside centre and openside flanker respectively.
Tom de Glanville; Joe Cokanasiga, Max Ojomoh, Cameron Redpath, Henry Arundell; Finn Russell, Ben Spencer – captain; Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Will Stuart; Quinn Roux, Charlie Ewels; Josh Bayliss, Guy Pepper, Miles Reid.
Kepu Tuipulotu, Francois van Wyk, Thomas du Toit, Ross Molony, Ted Hill, Tom Carr-Smith, Santi Carreras, Sam Underhill.
Shane Daly; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Tom Farrell, Dan Kelly, Thaakir Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey; Jeremy Louhman, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan; Edwin Edogbo, Tom Ahern; Tadhg Beirne - captain, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, Michael Ala’alatoa, Fineen Wycherley, Ruadhán Quinn, Ethan Coughlan, Alex Nankivell, Alex Kendellen.
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