Six-try Munster close the gap and secure an impressive 26-46 win
Munster A ran in six tries to secure an impressive 26-46 win over British & Irish Cup strugglers Ospreys Premiership Select XV in Wales yesterday.
Darren Sweetnam scored a brace in a high scoring Pool 3 affair at Brewery Field that saw Munster close the gap on leaders Yorkshire Carnegie to a point.
Head coach Mick O’Driscoll praised his players and said: “We have to be pleased with the result and scoring a lot of good tries against a top team.
"I was a little disappointed with some of our defensive effort towards the end, but we took our opportunities and overall we are happy.
"We are in a good position right now but we’ve got a tough game in Yorkshire coming up and there’s a tough battle between us and London Scottish to qualify.”
Ospreys took the lead on seven minutes when prop Marc Thomas crashed over.
But Munster soon found their rhythm as Shane Buckley capitalised on some weak defending. Bill Johnston converted..
Munster were on top and were rewarded for their free-flowing rugby with two tries in five minutes when lock Kevin O’Byrne weaved his way over from 30 yards and Sean Doyle added another.
Ospreys skipper Richard Fussell crossed but a Johnston penalty opened a 24-14 lead for Munster.
The hosts lost Lloyd Evans to the sin bin early in the second-half yet still scored next through Matthew Dwyer.
Munster hit back through Jordan Coghlan and Sweetnam. Ospreys winger Kristian Phillips trimmed the deficit nine minutes from time but Sweetnam made sure of a comfortable win with his second late on.
M Thomas, R Fussell, M Dwyer, K Phillips Cons: L Price (3).
S Buckley, K O’Byrne, S Doyle, J Coghlan, D Sweetnam (2) Cons: B Johnston (5) Pens: B Johnston (2)
R Fussell capt, T Williams, J Thomas (J Matavesi, 71), O Watkin, K Phillips, L Price, M Aubrey (RM Williams, 74); M Thomas (D Rogers, 51), M Dwyer, M Fia (G Thomas, 51), A Beard (J Tomlin Reeves, 62), R Bernardo (R Hughes, 61), R Jones, L Evans, I Boladau.
D Johnston, R O’Mahony, M D’Arcy, C Bohane (D Goggin, 58), D Sweetnam; B Johnston, C Sheridan (capt, D Williams, 58); L O’Connor (B Quinlan, 74), K O’Byrne, R Burke (B Betts, 72), S McCarthy, S Doyle (B Kilkenny, 62), J Coghlan, C Oliver (O Lyons, 74), S Buckley.
Fergus Kirby (England).
