Hello and welcome along to our live coverage of this Champions Cup clash between Munster and Gloucester at Thomond Park.
Here’s how Munster are lining out today:
15. Mike Haley
14. Andrew Conway
13. Dan Goggin
12. Rory Scannell
11. Darren Sweetnam
10. Joey Carbery
9. Duncan Williams
1. James Cronin
2. Rhys Marshall
3. John Ryan
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Tadhg Beirne
6. Peter O’Mahony (captain)
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. CJ Stander
Replacements:
16. Kevin O’Byrne
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Stephen Archer
19. Billy Holland
20. Arno Botha
21. Alby Mathewson
22. JJ Hanrahan
23. Sammy Arnold
And here’s the Gloucester team that has been named:
15. Jason Woodward
14. Matt Banahan
13. Billy Twelvetrees
12. Mark Atkinson
11. Tom Marshall
10. Danny Cipriani
9. Callum Braley
1. Josh Hohneck
2. Franco Marais
3. Fraser Balmain
4. Tom Savage
5. Ed Slater (captain)
6. Freddie Clarke
7. Jake Polledri
8. Ben Morgan
Replacements:
16. Henry Walker
17. Val Rapava Ruskin
18. Ciaran Knight
19. Gerbrandt Grobler
20. Gareth Evans
21. Ben Vellacott
22. Owen Williams
23. Tom Hudson
A bit of light reading before the game kicks off at 1pm. Here’s Sean Farrell’s preview of Munster v Gloucester’s Champions Cup clash:
“January 18 2003 will forever remain a cornerstone of Munster lore.
“The day they needed four tries and a 27-point win over powerful English opponents, and relentlessly battered their way to a 33-5 win over awestruck Gloucester.
“We ought to have known it was coming last weekend. All concerns around Johann van Graan’s side after losses to Glasgow, Cardiff and Leinster fizzled away once they flicked that switch that puts them into European mode.
“In Exeter, they ratcheted the intensity through the roof to meet the continent’s form team head on.
“Gloucester come to Limerick with a win over French champions Castres under their belt and an array of threats worthy of respect.”
Read more here
Heads or tails pal?
Our first match programme cover wearing our new European @adidas jersey with @peterom6 modelling it so well 👐 #MUNvGLO
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) October 20, 2018
Get team details, interviews & news from around the province in today's copy #SUAF pic.twitter.com/AdVJjOOyOD
For anyone looking to watch this game on TV, it’s available on Virgin Media 1 and BT Sport 2. It’s also on Channel 4 too.
Joey Carbery getting in some last-minute kicking
We’re getting very close now, how do you feel this game will go? Let us know in the comment section below.
There’s a familiar face
Thomond Park is in full voice for Stand Up And Fight!
The teams are on the pitch now and ready to rock.
And we’re off!
2 mins: Munster 0-0 Gloucester
Gloucester go on the early attack but a knock-on concedes a scrum to Munster and they can reset.
3 mins: Munster 0-0 Gloucester
Good kick from Carbery and Munster are easing themselves into the tie.
5 mins: Good steal on the line-out from Peter O’Mahony. Duncan Williams launches a box kick but it’s well gathered in the air by Tom Marshall and they recycle the ball out to Billy Twelvetrees.
His final pass however goes out over the line.
8 mins: Munster 0-0 Gloucester
Munster suffering from some problems in the set-piece as Twelvetrees chases down a kick into Munster territory.
10 mins: Munster 0-0 Gloucester
High tackle on James Cronin sees Munster win a penalty and Carbery finds touch with his kick. But Munster are definitely in a battle here.
14 mins: Munster 0-0 Gloucester
Some dodgy handling leads to Mike Haley’s kick getting blocked and Gloucester get a penalty to put them right back in Munster’s half of the pitch.
This puts them in a good position.
17 mins: Munster 0-0 Gloucester
Gloucester are piling on the pressure and it looks a score could be on the cards soon. They came close to getting over the try-line only for a fumble to spare Munster.
The referee is now calling on the TMO to review an incident.
17 mins: Munster 0-0 Gloucester
Yellow card for Gloucester’s Tom Savage for making contact with Dan Goggin’s head going in for the ball.
That could be a lucky break for Munster.
TRY! Munster 5-0 Gloucester (Mike Haley)
Fantastic work from Munster to get in over the line. Duncan Williams deserves huge credit for kick-starting the move after pouncing on a loose ball.
They work through the phases and eventually work the ball over the other side of the pitch and Mike Haley sneaks in at the corner.
Carbery misses the conversion but Munster have crucially taken the lead.
That sin-bin has really hurt Gloucester!
25 mins: Munster 5-3 Gloucester
Danny Cipriani slots a penalty through the posts to cut that deficit to two points.
29 mins: Munster 5-3 Gloucester
Good work from the Munster scrum to win a penalty. They link up well from a lineout shortly after and Scannell makes a nice break but Gloucester win the ball back.
The referee is going back to the TMO again for a challenge on Scannell. It did look high from the TV replays.
29 mins: Munster 5-3 Gloucester
Red Card!
Danny Cipriani is sent off for that challenge on Scannell. That’s a massive blow for Gloucester at this stage of the game.
30 mins: Munster 8-3 Gloucester
Carbery splits the posts from the resultant penalty to extend Munster’s advantage to five points.
34 mins: Munster 8-3 Gloucester
Billy Twelvetrees lucky not to get punished for that tackle.
Gloucester’s tackle technique has been quite poor at times and they’ve already lost two players so far to a sin-bin and a red card.
TRY! Munster 13-3 Gloucester (Rhys Marshall)
36 mins: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
Carbery adds the conversion and things are moving quite smoothly for Munster now
38 mins: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
Tommy O’Donnell is receiving treatment and it looks like his afternoon is over as the stretcher comes out onto the pitch.
Substitute for Munster
SUB | Arno Botha makes his Champions Cup debut replacing Tommy #MUNvGLO
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) October 20, 2018
Here’s the incident that lead to Cipriani getting sent off
Danny Cipriani has been sent off 🔴
— Watch the Heineken Champions Cup on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) October 20, 2018
He knew straight away he was going to be shown red for this tackle.
He apologised on his way off but his week has gone from bad to worse... pic.twitter.com/XGga2MHz2P
HT: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
A super bit of defensive play at the end of the first half from Munster. Gloucester came looking for a score to end their half on a high but Munster stood firm and forced a turnover.
The ball was fed out to Carbery to send the ball out of play and keep their 12-point lead intact as they head in for the half-time break.
Some key moments from the first half
Mike Haley crossing over for Munster’s opening try!
Danny Cipriani receiving his red card
Munster celebrate Rhys Marshall’s try
40 mins: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
The second half is underway!
41 mins: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
A poor Rory Scannell error leads to a Gloucester line-out and they lose possession as the throw is not straight.
Meanwhile, Kevin O’Byrne is on for Rhys Marshall as Munster prepare for a scrum.
44 mins: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
Good work from Arno Botha to kill off a Gloucester attack by bringing out Tom Marshall over the line.
He looks to be quite shaken from that challenge and will be replaced by Tom Hudson.
46 mins: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
VERY CLOSE!!
Brilliant work from Tadhg Beirne. He breaks through and decides to kick it ahead and run on but Tom Hudson gets back in time to smother the danger.
Almost a third try for Munster there.
47 mins: Munster 15-3 Gloucester
Superb kick from Carbery to get the ball landing just inside the corner at the try-line and that puts Munster in a brilliant position as Dave Kilcoyne comes on to replace James Cronin.
SUB | Sammy, Alby & Killer on for Rory, Duncan and James after 48' #MUNvGLO (15-3)
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) October 20, 2018
TRY! Munster 20-3 Gloucester (Joey Carbery)
53 mins: Munster 22-3 Gloucester
After diving over for the try, Carbery adds the extras and Munster are well on their way to victory.
He created the opportunity with that brilliant kick into the corner shortly before and finished the move well.
TRY! Munster 27-3 Gloucester (Sammy Arnold)
58 mins: Munster 29-3 Gloucester
And that’s the bonus point try in the bag with Sammy Arnold completing the move. Carbery, Darren Sweetnam and Andrew Conway were also involved.
And Carbery chips over the conversion too!
TRY! Munster 29-8 Gloucester (Gerbrandt Grobler)
64 mins: Munster 29-10 Gloucester
Twelvetrees adds the conversion to bring his side a little bit closer to Munster but the home side are on the attack again.
TRY! Munster 34-10 Gloucester (Andrew Conway)
67 mins: Munster 36-10 Gloucester
Carbery converts after Conway scorches through the cover to link up with Carbery and dot down with ease.
Dan Goggin did well in that attack too and it’s just cruise control for Munster now.
TRY! Munster 36-15 Gloucester (Jason Woodward)
70 mins: Munster 36-15 Gloucester
That’s poor from Munster after just scoring the try but credit goes to Twelvetrees for directing that score.
He spreads the ball out wide and Woodward gets on the end of the move to sprint over the try-line. Twelvetrees misses the conversion however.
76 mins: Munster 36-15 Gloucester
Gloucester are just not giving up as the referee speaks with Munster captain Peter O’Mahony about their high penalty count.
Gloucester go for the corner. They’re determined to get in again.
77 mins: Munster 36-15 Gloucester
Sammy Arnold gets a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on following a TMO review.
TRY! Munster 36-20 Gloucester (Ben Morgan)
Twelvetrees was central again here to break through the Munster wall and Ben Morgan finished the move to cut the gap again.
Twelvetrees tags on the conversion while Munster’s Stephen Archer could be in trouble here for a high challenge.
80 mins: Munster 36-22 Gloucester
Yellow card for Archer after the referee consults with the TMO. Munster are now down to 13 and Gloucester will go again for another score.
FT: Munster 36-22 Gloucester
That’s the bonus-point win in the bag for Munster but that was far from perfect from Johann van Graan’s side.
Gloucester made the better start but some indiscipline cost them and Munster capitalised to take the lead and they were looking pretty good leading 15-3 at the break.
There was some more good work from Munster after the restart with Carbery putting in a man-of-the-match performance to lead the way for the home side.
But Gloucester continued to apply pressure and Munster wilted slightly, finishing the game with 13 men after two yellow cards. They take a 36-22 victory away from this but there were a lot of mistakes from both sides it must be said.
Well that’s all from us, thank you for joining us today and we hope to have you along with us again soon.
Bye for now.
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