Afternoon folks, we’re almost ready to rock at the Liberty Stadium where Rob Penney is supremely confident of taking yet another Pro12 wins.

The champions began the season with a stutter, but they’ll love the sight of a red jersey to convince them that big, big games are afoot.

Here are your teams

Munster: D Hurley; D Howlett (c), K Earls, C Laulala, S Zebo; R O’Gara, C Murray; W Du Preez, M Sherry, S Archer; D O’Callaghan, B Holland, T O’Donnell, N Ronan, P Butler.

Replacements: D Varley, D Kilcoyne, BJ Botha, D Ryan, P O’Mahony, P Stringer, I Keatley, J Downey.

Ospreys: R Fussell; H Dirksen, A Bishop, A Beck, T Isaacs; D Biggar, K Fotuali’i; R Bevington, R Hibbard, A Jarvis; A Wyn Jones (c), I Evans; R Jones, J Tipuric, J Bearman.

Replacements: S Baldwin, D Jones, A Jones, J Thomas, G Stowers, R Webb, M Morgan, R Jones.

KICK OFF: Dan Biggar gets us underway and Munster take us through the first phases of the game. Murray is soon caught by Ryan Jones and O’Gara is forced to kick clear.

Ospreys attack the Munster 22 through Biggar counter attacking, but evans is penalised for sealing off and ROG can clear.

There’s the man. Peter stringer is on the field as Murray departs with a cut above his eye. The home side most definitely targeting the young nine.

Both sides began fully intent on running the ball, but with defences well set it has descended into a bit of a scrappy affair. After O’Gara slices a penalty clearance Munster concede possession and are then pinged for holding on.

Kickable chance for Biggar…

PENALTY: Ospreys 3 – 0 Munster (Biggar’ 11)

No problem for Biggar. He’s often inconsistent , but if he continues firing like this – a 35 yard effort on the angle from the left – Munster must ensure they cut out the penalties in their own half.

And, just as I right that, Hanno Dirksen has engineered another opportunity, kicking past Zimon Zebo and making a meal of the winger’s decrease in pace.

PENALTY: Ospreys 6 – 0 Munster (Biggar ‘ 14)

Conor Murray is back on the field, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more from Strings later.

Well, no sooner does Murray return to the field than the camera pans over to him. His wound was all taped up, no problem there, but as the physio and doctor approached him he didn’t really look like he was in possession of all his senses. Apparent concussion.

Peter Stringer is on, permanently this time.

Stephen Archer is penalised for bringing the scrum down near half way and Biggar opts for a line-out. The fly-half calls the move on himself and he breaks the line, Munster bailed out by a big hit by Butler sending the ball flying forward out of Biggar’s grasp.

TRY: Ospreys 13 – 0 Munster (Fussell ’21)

Ospreys compound their early dominance with Andy Bishop finding a gap off a line-out set-piece. Peter Stringer is the closest man to him and he takes his ankles, but the ball is kept moving to Beck and Fussell who slides over the line despite the tackle of Keith Earls.

Terrific conversion from Biggar on the touchline.. When the man is on form, Ospreys are irresistible.

PENALTY: Ospreys 13 – 3 Munster (O’Gara ’25)

The old warhorse has the southern province on the score-sheet. No problem with his form off the tee. Straight through the middle of the uprights from the right wing.

Simon Zebo is imposing himself on the game. An excellent clearance kick is followed up with an excellent take off a high Ospreys ball. unfortunately, there’s only so much a winger can do to turn a game.

The home side are vastly superior at the breakdown, this time Butler is penalised for sealing off a millisecond before Justin Tipuric comes up with the ball in his hands.

The black shirts were in complete control in that attack, but after drawing another penalty from the visitors, Biggar inexplicably curls his shot wide of the near post.

Dudley Phillips having a word with Howlett about the penalty count, but they follow up positively from the 22; spinning the ball wide to the right where Earls and Laulala earned a good 30 yards.

Much better from Munster off a line-out on the Ospreys’ 10-metre line. They quickly spin it left where Howlett finds a gap and then Earls outside him. The red shirts heave towards the tryline through the pack before again turning to the backs. Hurley was closest to a score, but on the next phase they knock on.

Didn’t catch the number there, but it’s currently an Ospreys scrum in front of their own posts.

Brilliant scrum by Munster has Stringer and Butler all over Bearman at the back of the shove. They scramble the ball to Biggar, but his kick is charged down by Laulala.

Pressure still on from Munster and they are awarded the ball as Ospreys fail to use the ball in time on their own ruck. The black front row go straight down and O’Gara has a chance to narrow the gap to seven points.

PENALTY: Ospreys 13 – 6 Munster (O’Gara ’39)

HALF TIME: Ospreys 13 – 6 Munster

Stringer takes the kick off and heads straight for touch.

An impressive response from Munster against the champions’ roaring start. They were full of invention and purpose. Hard to imagine such a response coming pre-Penney.

Ronan O’Gara gets the second half underway, firing the ball deep in Welsh territory. Munster get the ball back via another superb take from Zebo rising for a high ball.

PENALTY Ospreys 13 – 9 (O’Gara ’42)

ROG keeps the scoreboard ticking over with a 45 metre arrow, another lump from the confidence of the home side after Ryan Jones gifted him the chance at goal.

PENALTY Ospreys 16 – 9 Munster (Biggar ’47)

Well, no doubt that Alun Wyn Jones is in charge of this team. Ospreys go back to basics and simply maul the life out of Munster. They rove through the heart of the red defence until is is pulled down on the 22.

SIN-BIN Tommy O’Donnell will not see minutes 47 to 57 of this game.

Munster are back on the rack, just a they were in the first quarter. This time, tough, they only have 14 men. On the face of it, they need BJ Botha on the field, but Ospreys can still call on the Joneses.

The hosts have a chance to twist the knife with a scrum v just to their right hand side of the posts..

Doug Howlett has packed down with the scrum. desperation causes them to hit early – twice – and Rpb Penney has readied five burly men to spring from the bench.

But…

PENALTY TRY: Ospreys 23 – 9 Munster

Doug Howlett cannot stop the black shirts marching forward three metres. Archer pops up and so too does the referees arm. Easy conversion for Biggar.

PENALTY: Ospreys 23 -12 Munster (O’Gara ’60)

Well, Penney introduces Peter O’Mahony, Donnacha Ryan and BJ Botha from the bench and they are soon followed by Ian Keatley, but only after ROG lands his fourth penalty from four attempts.

Is that one last roll of the dice and a change of tack? Or are the Kiwi’s eyes being drawn to next week’s inter-pro in the Aviva. RoG will be fresh and in decent form, that’s for sure.

TRY…. saving tackle from Keith Earls. Hurley spills the ball as he is tackled and Fussell collects the loose ball on a gallop. We’d normally back Fussell against almost anyone. Earls did superbly to track him down, force him to change direction and then haul him down and force a penalty.

PENALTY: Ospreys 23- 15 Munster (Keatley ’67)

The newly strengthened pack has definitely given the visitors a new lease of life. A black shirt pinged for running offside and the apprentice picks up where the master left off.

Munster in the game here  and it is beginning to open up.

TRY Ospreys 30 – 15 Munster (Hibbard ’69)

That’s game over.

Tipuric bursts his way down the left wing and Munster had to scramble to bring him down. The hosts go though another three phases, drawing defenders in before the ball is spun wide – the pass missed the target, but the grateful hooker was on hand to lift the bouncing ball head for the line.

Converted.

James Downey is on in place of Simon Zebo. The winger has been very assured under the high ball tonight.

RED CARD: Damian Varley is off on the advice of the touch judge.

We will surely hear more from the citing commissioner on that one. Touch judge said he deliberately flicked his boot out at the face of a prone player.

Munster now faced with a challenge of preventing Ospreys claiming a bonus point. From a penalty, Biggar drills the ball for a line-out eight metres from try number four.

Two minutes to play and the balck shirts methodically going from phase to phase, Rhys Webb confident that an opening will present itself, but BJ Botha forces a penalty.

It’s a sign of the times, Munster quick-tap and try to run it from their five-metre line with 14 men. Keith Earls finds the gap and makes it to halfway before he is forced out of play.

FULL TIME: Ospreys 30 – 15 Munster

There’s the full time whistle, folks. Munster comprehensively outplayed for all bar 15 minutes of this encounter. The home side were vastly superior at the breakdown and, for the most part, at the set-piece.

Still, plenty of reasons to be positive for the southern province. They are intent on running the ball (though sometimes against better judgement) ROG is in form and they will have some big beefy forwards fresh and ready to go against Leinster next week.

Still, against the champions, it’s a big fat zero in the try-count and a big fat zero in terms of league points accrued tonight.

That’s it for my liveblog of the game, be sure to check back later for reaction from this game and the rest of the Pro12 action this weekend.

Goodnight.