Munster 14
Treviso 3
MUNSTER BEAT TREVISO 14-3 in the RaboDirect PRO12 at Thomond Park this evening, in what a less-than-spectacular encounter.
It was unconvincing display from Rob Penney’s men, who were somewhat fortunate to be leading 7-3 at half-time.
Matt Berquist kicked the visitors three points ahead after two minutes, before JJ Hanraran passed up two opportunities to respond with penalties of his own.
Keith Earls eventually put the hosts on the scoreboard on 36 minutes, after his try was adjudged to be legitimate following consultation with the TMO. Hanrahan then added the conversion to give his team a four-point advantage at the break.
The second half continued in a similar fashion, with Munster struggling to break their defensively stubborn opponents down.
(Munster’s Paul O’Connell Tommy O’Donnell and Conor Murray with the RBS 6 Nations trophy)
They did get some joy however on 55 minutes, as James Downey dived over for the Irish side’s second try of the game, with Hanrahan again making no mistake with the conversion, in the process capitalising on a man advantage, after Treviso’s Giovanni Maistri had been sent to the sin bin early in the second half.
The game petered out from there, with Munster struggling to establish any rhythm following a series of changes, amid one of the less memorable spectacles Thomond Park has witnessed in recent times.
Munster: Felix Jones; Keith Earls, Casey Laulala (Simon Zebo), James Downey, Johne Murphy; JJ Hanrahan (Ian Keatley), Duncan Williams (Gerry Hurley); James Cronin (Dave Kilcoyne), Damien Varley (Quentin MacDonald), John Ryan (Stephen Archer); Billy Holland (Donncha O’Callaghan), Dave Foley; Donnacha Ryan, Sean Dougall (CJ Stander), Paddy Butler.
