Advertisement
Dian Bleuler (1) celebrates scoring a try with Gavin Coombes. Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Munster slay Dragons with explosive first-half show

Munster ran in six tries en route to a 38-19 win at Rodney Parade.

United Rugby Championship / YouTube

Dragons 19-38 Munster

Nathan Johns reports from Rodney Parade

A DOMINANT FIRST-HALF display saw Munster secure a bonus-point win over the Dragons, a six-try performance sending them up to seventh in the URC table and back into the playoff spots.

Five first-half tries in a scintillating attacking display proved to be crucial. Munster’s backline was decimated by injuries after the break, allowing the Dragons to add a number of scores which ultimately made the contest seem more competitive than it was.

To say Munster were rampant in the first half would be an understatement. Their fun started with a Diarmuid Kilgallen finish in the corner inside three minutes, deft hands from Shane Daly and Tom Ahern setting up the score.

Gavin Coombes went close to adding a second minutes later after Billy Burns’ lovely pass across a decoy opened the gap, only for the TMO to say the grounding was short. The Dragons did hold up a maul inside the 22 to give the allusion of solidity, but once Munster found their second there was no let up.

Kilgallen was again involved in the build-up, Munster flooding runners at individual defenders to cause chaos. Burns picked out Coombes to get into the 22, the number eight drawing the last defender before sending Alex Kendellen over.

From the following kick-off, Munster were in again. Daly broke out wide and threw an audacious, basketball-style pass over the head of the defender. Kendellen slowed up to wait for support, drawing the full-back before sending O’Connor over for a score on his first senior start.

Rinse and repeat from the resulting restart. Munster again broke from deep, this time Daly and Farrell exchanging passes as the latter’s beautiful, no-look, one-handed effort sent the wing into the corner. Lloyd Evans prevented the score with a high tackle. Penalty try. Yellow card. Bonus point within 20 minutes.

A fifth try was added shortly before half time, Dian Bleuler powering through a few would-be tacklers to mark his last appearance for the club in style.

The first score after the break was, mercifully, a Dragons one. Evans cut through a Munster backline which was forced to reshuffle after Farrell’s injury, before tighthead Chris Coleman barrelled over from close range.

Normal service resumed on 54 minutes. Bleuler won a scrum penalty, which was followed by another infringement which Tony Butler kicked into the corner. The resulting maul saw John Hodnett barge over the line.

Backline injuries then decimated Munster’s bench – pack with six forwards – and their flow in the final quarter. Daly and Ethan Coughlan both picked up head knocks, while Burns limped off. Munster were forced to put Kilgallen at centre with forwards Hodnett and Jack O’Donoghue on either wing.

No surprise, then, that the Dragons had the late upper hand. Harry Wilson and Dane Blacker both scored after gaps appeared in the Munster midfield. That was that from a scoring point of view, the final margin failing to reflect Munster’s true dominance.

Dragons scorers:

  • Tries: Chris Coleman, Harry Wilson, Dane Blacker
  • Conversions: Lloyd Evans (1 from 2), Will Reed (1 from 1)

Munster scorers:

  • Tries: Diarmuid Kilgallen, Alex Kendellen, Ben O’Connor, Penalty Try, Dian Bleuler, John Hodnett.
  • Conversions: Billy Burns (3 from 4), Tony Butler (1 from 2)

Dragons: Huw Anderson; Rio Dyer, Aneurin Owen (captain), Harri Ackerman (Harry Wilson, 37 HIA), Jared Rosser; Lloyd Evans (Will Reed, 69), Morgan Lloyd (Dane Blacker, HT); Rodrigo Martinez (Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths 10), Brodie Coghlan (James Benjamin, 51), Chris Coleman (Paula Latu, 62); Joe Davies, Ryan Woodman (B Langton-Cryer); Shane Lewis-Hughes, Dan Lydiate, Taine Basham (George Young, 5).

Yellow card: Lloyd Evans (20)

Munster: Ben O’Connor; Shane Daly (Paddy Patterson, 51 HIA), Tom Farrell (Tony Butler, 25), Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns (Brian Gleeson, 57), Ethan Coughlan (Danny Sheehan, 65); Dian Bleuler (Kieran Ryan, 69), Diarmuid Barron, Oli Jager (John Ryan, 43); Fineen Wycherley (Evan O’Connell, 61), Tom Ahern; Jack O’Donoghue (captain), Alex Kendellen (John Hodnett, 51), Gavin Coombes.

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)

View 40 comments
Close
40 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Steve Mccarthy
    Favourite Steve Mccarthy
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 5:03 PM

    Best of luck Prendy. Onward and upward

    49
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute chris mcdonnell
    Favourite chris mcdonnell
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 5:05 PM

    It would be some craic if he picks a side packed leinster with leinster players.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Con Cussed
    Favourite Con Cussed
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 5:26 PM

    @chris mcdonnell: I think he has enough players from all the provinces who didn’t make the cut for the national side. Quite a few of them will be from Munster like Ahern, Coombes, Hodnett, Gleeson, Nash, Daly to name but a few. All good players before he even considers the other providences.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe O'Regan
    Favourite Joe O'Regan
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 5:29 PM

    @chris mcdonnell: not sure what you mean.

    13
    See 13 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Ennis
    Favourite Paul Ennis
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 5:38 PM

    @Con Cussed: The 13 players not selected for the 6N match day squad will be available for Ireland A

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry Moran
    Favourite Barry Moran
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 5:57 PM

    @Paul Ennis: Apart from the awkward 2 or 3 guys who need to travel with the main squad in case of injuries.
    Always unlucky to be technically higher in the pecking order than some guys playing the A but unable to get gametime to prove it.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute chris mcdonnell
    Favourite chris mcdonnell
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 7:20 PM

    @Joe O’Regan: i am talking about how some people on here lost their sh 1t when easterby and paul O’Connell picked their 6 nation squad and how funny this site would be if he picks a leinster based sqaud.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute damien reidy
    Favourite damien reidy
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 7:38 PM

    @Con Cussed: Nash is in the national squad

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian Breen
    Favourite Adrian Breen
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 7:42 PM

    @chris mcdonnell: be some craic if he replaced Cullen soon

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Owen ODonoghue
    Favourite Owen ODonoghue
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 8:24 PM

    @Paul Ennis: thats cool, will be a proper A team then

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute chris mcdonnell
    Favourite chris mcdonnell
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 8:31 PM

    @Paul Ennis: so take out the likely 23 your left with something something like this.
    1 Boyle
    2. Herring
    3. Clarkson
    4. Henderson
    5. Cormac Izzy
    6. PoM (capt)
    7. Timoney
    8. Pendergast
    9. Blade
    10. Frawley
    11. Nash
    12. Cooney
    13. Postwhistle
    14. Obrien
    15. Osbourne

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute chris mcdonnell
    Favourite chris mcdonnell
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 10:34 PM

    @Adrian Breen: you can have Cullen, I’d even drive him down to limerick

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute D Farrell
    Favourite D Farrell
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 11:14 PM

    @chris mcdonnell:
    I’d like to see;
    1. Boyle, sub Dooley
    2. McCarthy, sub Stewart
    3. Clarkson, sub Scott Wilson
    4. Henderson (c)
    5. T Aherne l, sub Sheridan
    6. Jensen, sub Soroka
    7. Timoney, sub Kindellan
    8. McNabney, sub Gleeson
    9. Doak, sub Ben Murphy/Gus ….
    10. Flawley, sub Harry B
    11. Stockdale, sub Zac Ward
    12. Postletwaite
    13. Forde
    14. Tommy O’Brien
    15. Jimmy O’Brien

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Con Cussed
    Favourite Con Cussed
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 11:19 PM

    @damien reidy: Yeah, thanks my mistake :0)

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Ennis
    Favourite Paul Ennis
    Report
    Jan 25th 2025, 4:52 AM

    @chris mcdonnell: Something like that. I have a funny feeling POM makes the 6N 23, especially v Wales. Osbourne would be unlucky not to make the squad too.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Ennis
    Favourite Paul Ennis
    Report
    Jan 25th 2025, 4:55 AM

    @Barry Moran: Bristol is less than an hours drive from Cardiff so the 24th man plus plus will still be available for the A game. Chances are that both squads will stay in Cardiff. I also forgot about the training panelists, so you will essentially be looking at 17 plus 6 drafted in. Maybe Easterby will use the opportunity for an extended squad gathering in the fallow week to give exposure to another 10 or 12 players over all?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian Breen
    Favourite Adrian Breen
    Report
    Jan 25th 2025, 9:41 AM

    @chris mcdonnell:

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran Kennedy
    Favourite Ciaran Kennedy
    Report
    Jan 24th 2025, 7:20 PM

    Could hardly have gotten Richie Murphy as both his sons will on form likely be playing it.

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel