Munster bounce back from derby defeat with comfortable victory over URC leaders Glasgow

Planet Rugby
Lock Thomas Ahern in action for Munster.

Lock Thomas Ahern in action for Munster.

Munster got back on track in the United Rugby Championship after they overcame league leaders Glasgow Warriors 40-29 on Friday.

The Irish province’s fast start paved the way as Edwin Edogbo, Thomas Ahern and Diarmuid Barron touched down to take them 19-0 ahead.

Although Sione Vailanu responded for the Warriors, Ahern crossed for his second try as they went 26-5 up at the interval.

That would prove to be an insurmountable margin for Glasgow to bridge, but they did garner a try bonus-point through Johnny Matthews, Rory Darge and Angus Fraser scores, while they were also awarded a penalty try.

However, further efforts from Alex Nankivell and John Hodnett meant that Munster bounced back from their loss to Leinster and went away with a deserved URC win.

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With the table toppers leaking five penalties inside the opening six minutes, Nankivell and Gavin Coombes carried strongly before Edogbo dived in under the posts for the first of the game’s 11 tries.

Capitalising on prop Nathan McBeth’s sin-binning for not rolling away, Ahern then collected a Jack Crowley cross-field kick, despite Sean Kennedy appearing to take him out in the air, and powered over in the left corner.

Brilliant hands and running from Antoine Frisch and Ahern spearheaded a superb 15th-minute attack, which a sidestepping Barron applied the finishing touches to. Jack Crowley converted neatly from the left.

Duncan Weir’s excellent touchfinder from a 25th-minute penalty saw flanker Vailanu close the gap to 19-5 from the resulting maul.

Scott Cummings lifted Glasgow further with two lineout steals, but Frisch and Coombes beat two defenders each before Ahern scored out wide again.

The visitors, who had only lost two of their seven games against Irish opposition, hit back when hooker Matthews scored from a well-controlled 41st-minute maul.

That good work was undone when Glasgow were hit by the double whammy of Nankivell’s well-finished seven-pointer and a yellow card for Lucio Sordoni infringing at a ruck.

Munster could not deal with the Scots’ power-packed mauling through, as one drive was stopped before Darge piled over from a ruck.

Just past the hour mark, two more ground-gaining mauls earned Glasgow’s penalty try, making it 33-22 with Tadhg Beirne sent to the bin.

Hodnett crashed over from a tap penalty for a swift Munster response, with debutant Oli Jager helping to drive him over. Crowley tagged on his fifth conversion, before Fraser replied late on from another well-executed maul.

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Glasgow Warriors