MUNSTER DID ALL that was required of them to stay in control of their own destiny in the URC as they ran in seven tries at Stadio Monigo to end another difficult week on a positive note.
Results elsewhere went against Munster throughout the day and they found themselves in the bottom half of the table prior to kick-off.
Six away defeats in a row in all competitions meant confidence was low for Munster heading to the Stadio Monigo but the good start which head coach Clayton McMillan demanded was delivered with Alex Nankivell, Jack Crowley and, as usual, Tadhg Beirne leading the way.
🔴 @Munsterrugby head coach Clayton McMillan after their big win over Benetton tonight!
— Premier Sports Ireland (@PremSportsIRL) April 18, 2026
A sizable Munster contingent in Treviso also helped and by half-time the visitors were good value for their 19-3 lead and should have had the bonus point in the bag.
Shane Daly was assured at fullback and his good touchfinder down the left led to the opening try after seven minutes. Benetton messed up their own lineout and Munster pounced with Nankivell providing the key pass wide for Calvin Nash to sprint down the right wing to score. Crowley landed a superb conversion from the touchline.
He was off target with a penalty from 45 metres as Munster tried to build a lead, but the pressure eventually told and Tom Farrell pushed the lead out to 12-0 after 17 minutes after Nankivell again supplied the key pass in midfield.
Benetton opted for the posts with a 27th minute penalty after tighthead Michael Ala’alatoa was pinged and Jacob Umaga made no mistake with the kick to cut the gap to 12-3.
But Munster finished the half strongly. They were patient in the build-up, moved the ball well through the hands and Crowley and Daly varied their some decent kicks which kept the Treviso side pinned back.
Advertisement
Munster's Jeremy Loughman is tackled by Benetton’s Marcos Gallorini. Roberto Bregani / INPHO
Roberto Bregani / INPHO / INPHO
Munster made the possession count six minutes from the break. They went to the left corner with a penalty which Beirne won and several forays later finished with Gavin Coombes squeezing over for his 54th try for the province. Crowley added the extras to lead 19-3 at the interval.
Good work from scrumhalf Alessandro Garbisi and Tommaso Menoncello, quiet until then, put Umaga away for Benetton two minutes after the restart but Nankivell got back to nail him a few metres short of the line.
Munster countered and quick thinking from scrumhalf Craig Casey secured a 50:22 and they made the possession count, again keeping the ball in tight and stretching the defence and Tom Ahern got over after Nash did extremely well to hold a pass with one hand.
That pushed them 26-3 ahead and secured the try bonus point before Treviso hit back and replacement tighthead Bautista Bernasconi scored from close range after they had worked the ball infield after going to the left corner. Umaga converted to cut the gap to 16.
But Munster wrapped up the game four minutes later. Crowley, with penalty advantage, measured his crosskick to precision for Alex Kendellen to collect in the left corner and skip inside former Munster player Matt Gallagher to score their fifth try.
Another brilliant break from Nankivell in midfield set up Munster’s sixth try against a wilting home defence and when Nash was stopped in the right corner, they recycled with Nankivell again making crucial metres before Beirne scored and Crowley converted.
Munster made the task difficult for themselves in the final quarter. Crowley picked up a yellow card and then was followed to the bin by his halfback partner Casey for a deliberate knock-on.
But they defended the penalty superbly with just 13 men and cleared the lines as they did enough to disrupt the Treviso attack.
Munster continued to press forward and Brian Gleeson, after executing the initial turnover, was on hand to finish the movement with their seventh try two minutes from the end, although there was still time for Alessandro Garbisi to get a consolation score at the death.
Benetton scorers:
Tries – B Bernasconi, A Garbisi
Conversion – J Umaga [1/2]
Penalty – Umaga [1/1]
Munster scorers:
Tries – C Nash, T Farrell, G Coombes, T Ahern, A Kendellen, T Beirne, B Gleeson
Conversions: J Crowley [5/7]
BENETTON: Matt Gallagher (Garbisi 73); Louis Lynagh (Leonardo Marin 63), Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu; Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi (Andy Uren 68); Destiny Aminu (, Ivan Nemer 58), Nicholas Gasperini (Bautista Bernasconi 45), Marcos Gallorini (Tiziano Pasquali 45); Giulio Marini, Federico Ruzza; Sebastian Negri (Alessandro Izekor 20), Michele Lamaro (c), Lorenzo Cannone (Jadin Kingi 68).
MUNSTER: Shane Daly (Coombes 73); Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell (Dan Kelly 23-41), Alex Nankivell (Dan Kelly 73), Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman (Michael Milne 48), Diarmuid Barron (Lee Barron 58), Michael Ala’alatoa (Oli Jager half-time); Jean Kleyn (Edwin Edogbo 60), Tadhg Beirne (c); Tom Ahern (Brian Gleeson 60), John Hodnett (Alex Kendellen 48), Gavin Coombes (Ben O’Donovan 68).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
39 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Munster deliver with 7-try win in Benetton
Benetton 15
Munster 45
MUNSTER DID ALL that was required of them to stay in control of their own destiny in the URC as they ran in seven tries at Stadio Monigo to end another difficult week on a positive note.
Results elsewhere went against Munster throughout the day and they found themselves in the bottom half of the table prior to kick-off.
Six away defeats in a row in all competitions meant confidence was low for Munster heading to the Stadio Monigo but the good start which head coach Clayton McMillan demanded was delivered with Alex Nankivell, Jack Crowley and, as usual, Tadhg Beirne leading the way.
A sizable Munster contingent in Treviso also helped and by half-time the visitors were good value for their 19-3 lead and should have had the bonus point in the bag.
Shane Daly was assured at fullback and his good touchfinder down the left led to the opening try after seven minutes. Benetton messed up their own lineout and Munster pounced with Nankivell providing the key pass wide for Calvin Nash to sprint down the right wing to score. Crowley landed a superb conversion from the touchline.
He was off target with a penalty from 45 metres as Munster tried to build a lead, but the pressure eventually told and Tom Farrell pushed the lead out to 12-0 after 17 minutes after Nankivell again supplied the key pass in midfield.
Benetton opted for the posts with a 27th minute penalty after tighthead Michael Ala’alatoa was pinged and Jacob Umaga made no mistake with the kick to cut the gap to 12-3.
But Munster finished the half strongly. They were patient in the build-up, moved the ball well through the hands and Crowley and Daly varied their some decent kicks which kept the Treviso side pinned back.
Munster made the possession count six minutes from the break. They went to the left corner with a penalty which Beirne won and several forays later finished with Gavin Coombes squeezing over for his 54th try for the province. Crowley added the extras to lead 19-3 at the interval.
Good work from scrumhalf Alessandro Garbisi and Tommaso Menoncello, quiet until then, put Umaga away for Benetton two minutes after the restart but Nankivell got back to nail him a few metres short of the line.
Munster countered and quick thinking from scrumhalf Craig Casey secured a 50:22 and they made the possession count, again keeping the ball in tight and stretching the defence and Tom Ahern got over after Nash did extremely well to hold a pass with one hand.
That pushed them 26-3 ahead and secured the try bonus point before Treviso hit back and replacement tighthead Bautista Bernasconi scored from close range after they had worked the ball infield after going to the left corner. Umaga converted to cut the gap to 16.
But Munster wrapped up the game four minutes later. Crowley, with penalty advantage, measured his crosskick to precision for Alex Kendellen to collect in the left corner and skip inside former Munster player Matt Gallagher to score their fifth try.
Another brilliant break from Nankivell in midfield set up Munster’s sixth try against a wilting home defence and when Nash was stopped in the right corner, they recycled with Nankivell again making crucial metres before Beirne scored and Crowley converted.
Munster made the task difficult for themselves in the final quarter. Crowley picked up a yellow card and then was followed to the bin by his halfback partner Casey for a deliberate knock-on.
But they defended the penalty superbly with just 13 men and cleared the lines as they did enough to disrupt the Treviso attack.
Munster continued to press forward and Brian Gleeson, after executing the initial turnover, was on hand to finish the movement with their seventh try two minutes from the end, although there was still time for Alessandro Garbisi to get a consolation score at the death.
Benetton scorers:
Tries – B Bernasconi, A Garbisi
Conversion – J Umaga [1/2]
Penalty – Umaga [1/1]
Munster scorers:
Tries – C Nash, T Farrell, G Coombes, T Ahern, A Kendellen, T Beirne, B Gleeson
Conversions: J Crowley [5/7]
BENETTON: Matt Gallagher (Garbisi 73); Louis Lynagh (Leonardo Marin 63), Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu; Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi (Andy Uren 68); Destiny Aminu (, Ivan Nemer 58), Nicholas Gasperini (Bautista Bernasconi 45), Marcos Gallorini (Tiziano Pasquali 45); Giulio Marini, Federico Ruzza; Sebastian Negri (Alessandro Izekor 20), Michele Lamaro (c), Lorenzo Cannone (Jadin Kingi 68).
MUNSTER: Shane Daly (Coombes 73); Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell (Dan Kelly 23-41), Alex Nankivell (Dan Kelly 73), Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman (Michael Milne 48), Diarmuid Barron (Lee Barron 58), Michael Ala’alatoa (Oli Jager half-time); Jean Kleyn (Edwin Edogbo 60), Tadhg Beirne (c); Tom Ahern (Brian Gleeson 60), John Hodnett (Alex Kendellen 48), Gavin Coombes (Ben O’Donovan 68).
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Dominant Munster Rugby Benetton Treviso URC