Ospreys (5) 17
Tries: Giles, Parry, Cuthbert Cons: Williams
Munster (19) 27
Tries: Daly, O’Brien (2) Snyman Cons: Carberry (2) Pens: Carberry
An early three-try burst from the visitors would prove to be the difference, with wing Sean O’Brien grabbing a brace of interception tries and fellow wide man Shane Daly also on the scoresheet as the visitors raced into an early 19-point lead.
The home side stayed in touch with Keelan Giles racing over just before the break and hooker Sam Parry driving over after the restart.
Toby Booth’s side would, however, not be able to keep out powerful lock RG Snyman from ploughing over midway through the second-half to seal a bonus point and ultimately the match.
Veteran wing Alex Cuthbert would reduce the arrears late before leaving the ground on crutches with a nasty looking hamstring injury. In the end it would be a disappointing night for the Welsh region who would fall further behind in the race for a top-eight play-off placing.
The Ospreys came into the match looking to get back to winning ways after dropping out of the URC top eight positionings with a 19-15 defeat against Edinburgh at the Hive three weeks ago.
Head coach Toby Booth bemoaned ill-discipline and felt it was a ‘game that got away’ from his side at the final whistle with too many penalties given away in the first-half to the Scots.
In a crucial double header in front of their own support, the Ospreys would come into the game with heart after winning six of their seven matches at the Swansea.com Stadium.
First up would be last season’s champions, Irish province Munster – a side sitting four points and as many placings above the Welsh region in a jam-packed table.
Booth would make five changes to his starting XV with double player of the year Morgan Morris and fly-half Owen Williams amongst the returnees. Williams, incidentally, making only his second start of the calendar year.
Graham Rowntree’s Munster side would come into the game in clinical form triumphing in their last four matches in all competitions amassing more than 40 points in three of the victories. After a rocky December threatened to derail the Irish side’s challenge, Munster would be a tricky proposition with several of their triumphant Six Nations contingent back in their squad.
It would be the Irish side who would start the quickest and would open the scoring in the early stages. A sweeping move saw winger Daly finish at pace in the left-hand corner from full-back Mike Haley’s pass after Scannell had sucked in the Ospreys defense.
It wouldn’t take long for the visitors to score their second as Booth’s side would be punished for indecision. O’Brien intercepting Owen Williams’s loose pass to sprint clear from sixty yards to score on the opposite side.
The Ospreys would grow into the match but would be unable to turn pressure into points over several phases as Munster would hold firm.
The visitors would punish then punish the Welsh side once more in a near carbon copy of the second. O’Brien once again benefited from loose play, however, this time would show neat footwork to chase his own kick to score in the same corner amid comical Ospreys defending.
The home side would plug away and would get a vital score to get themselves back into the game five minutes before the interval. Giles finishing for his fourth try of the campaign, scoring in the corner from Williams’s pass after a two-on-one situation.
In a close-fought second-half, it would be the Ospreys who would be first to strike. Hooker Parry driving over from a maul on the blind side as the home side would start to get the better of the scum.
The visitors, however, wouldn’t take long to seal an attacking bonus point. Giant South African lock RG Snyman finally powering over after over a dozen phases of play.
Booth’s side would fight to the end, but once Carberry had converted a 35-yard penalty the scoreline would prove to be too big a margin to overcome, despite Wales international Cuthbert scoring his side’s third try of the evening in the closing stages from replacement Jack Walsh’s break.
It would in the end be another what could have been match for the Ospreys who would pay for their poor early decision-making with the Irish province solid defense holding out for a ten-point victory.
Ospreys XV: Hopkins (Walsh 40), Cuthbert, Boshoff (Watkin 67) , K Williams, Giles, O Williams, Morgan-Williams (Jones 76), Smith (Henry 32), Parry (Lloyd 76), Botha (Phillips 59), Ratti, R Davies (Sutton 74), Rudolph (Deaves 52), Tipuric (captain), Morris.
Munster XV: Haley, O’Brien, Frisch, R Scannell, Daly; Carbery (Butler 71), Casey (Coughlin 71), Wycherley (Loughman 45), N Scannell, Ryan, Ahern, Snyman, Hodnett (Quinn 63), Kendellen (captain), Coombes.
[Lead image: Ospreys Rugby]
