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)
Best of luck Prendy. Onward and upward
It would be some craic if he picks a side packed leinster with leinster players.
@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.
@chris mcdonnell: not sure what you mean.
@Con Cussed: The 13 players not selected for the 6N match day squad will be available for Ireland A
@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.
@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.
@Con Cussed: Nash is in the national squad
@chris mcdonnell: be some craic if he replaced Cullen soon
@Paul Ennis: thats cool, will be a proper A team then
@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
@Adrian Breen: you can have Cullen, I’d even drive him down to limerick
@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
@damien reidy: Yeah, thanks my mistake :0)
@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.
@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?
@chris mcdonnell:
Could hardly have gotten Richie Murphy as both his sons will on form likely be playing it.