Dan Kelly celebrates after scoring a try for Munster. Dan Sheridan/INPHO

As it happened: Munster earn bonus-point win over Gloucester in Champions Cup

After last week’s defeat to Bath, Munster came to Páirc Uí Chaoimh in search of redemption.

a-general-view-of-the-munster-changing-room-ahead-of-the-match Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Hello and welcome to The42′s coverage of the Champions Cup clash between Munster and Gloucester.

After last week’s discouraging display against Bath, Clayton McMillan’s side are in Páirc Uí Chaoimh today with redemption on their mind. And with Gloucester travelling with essentially, a second-string team, the feeling is that anything less than a bonus-point win would be considered a failure.

We’ll have team line-ups for you shortly as we edge closer to the 5.30pm kick-off.

Munster Rugby

  • 15. Mike Haley
  • 14. Shane Daly
  • 13. Dan Kelly
  • 12. Alex Nankivell
  • 11. Ben O’Connor
  • 10. Jack Crowley
  • 9. Craig Casey
  • 1. Michael Milne
  • 2. Niall Scannell
  • 3. Michael Ala’alatoa
  • 4. Jean Kleyn
  • 5. Tadhg Beirne (captain)
  • 6. Tom Ahern
  • 7. Jack O’Donoghue 
  • 8. Gavin Coombes

Replacements:

  • 16. Diarmuid Barron
  • 17. Josh Wycherley
  • 18. Conor Bartley
  • 19. Edwin Edogbo
  • 20. Ruadhán Quinn
  • 21. Paddy Patterson
  • 22. JJ Hanrahan
  • 23. Tom Farrell

Gloucester Rugby

  • 15. George Barton
  • 14. Josh Hathaway
  • 13. Will Knight
  • 12. Max Knight
  • 11. Rob Russell
  • 10. Charlie Atkinson
  • 9. Mike Austin
  • 1. Dian Bleuler
  • 2. Jack Innard
  • 3. Jamal Ford-Robinson
  • 4. Cam Jordan
  • 5. Arthur Clark (captain)
  • 6. Josh Basham
  • 7. Harry Taylor
  • 8. Jack Clement

Replacements:

  • 16. Kealan Freeman Price
  • 17. Ciaran Knight
  • 18. Afolabi Fasogbon
  • 19. Danny Eite
  • 20. Hugh Bokenham
  • 21. Caio James
  • 22. Rhys Price
  • 23. Jack Cotgreave

Around 15 minutes until kick-off, call it here.


Poll Results:

Munster win (79)
Gloucester win (10)
Draw (3)

There’s nine changes in the Munster team today. Is that the right call? We’ll find out soon.

Kick-Off! Munster v Gloucester 

1 min: Munster 0-0 Gloucester

Early penalty for Gloucester inside Munster territory. Not the start they wanted, as  George Barton eyes up the posts.

2 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

And the kick is straight and true! Glocuester are off the mark in Cork.

2 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Jack Crowley gets the game back underway.

2 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Mike Haley makes a good fetch and bounces off a tackle. Ben O’Connor then sends on a kick and chase but it trickles out to give Gloucester the lineout.

5 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Jean Kleyn intervenes to knock the ball back into Munster hands but Munster struggle in the breakdown and it’s a Gloucester penalty. 

 

7 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Gloucester lose another lineout and that’s a good start for Munster with handling the opposition set-piece. 

Alex Nankivell then makes a brilliant carry as Munster gain some territory and start building the phases.

7 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Munster knock the ball on Gloucester will put the ball in for the first scrum of the evening.

9 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Munster penalty!

Gloucester are being penalised for not staying straight and that’s a good response from Clayton McMillan’s pack.

They win the lineout too and Casey boots it high. It was intended for Ben O’Connor but he doesn’t get up in time. But he does for the knock-on, and Munster have a scrum.

10 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Munster penalised again and Gloucester send the ball way down into Munster territory.

Very scrappy so far from Munster. One piece of good play followed quickly by an error.

12 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

O’Connor jumps to collect a Casey box-kick and makes the catch this time. The pair link up again with a brilliant pass out wide from Casey. O’Connor tries to run up the line but is forced to put his foot on the line and the visitors are back in possession again.

13 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Gloucester win the lineout this time and a box-kick is won by Munster and a loose pass from Casey pushes Munster back.

They gather themselves and Casey goes to the air again. It’s a good kick to find touch and relieve the pressure again.

14 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Great kick puts Haley under pressure and Gloucester advance for the chase. Casey then releases another brilliant kick and we’re back to where we were a minute ago.

15 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Gloucester strong in their lineout again. They seem to have dealt with those early mistakes. Munster are back in their own five-metre line as Casey puts the ball up again and puts it beyond the ’22.

They’re still not quite motoring and need a spark to get going.

17 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Munster penalty and that has given the crowd a big lift.

But it’s a messy pass to Haley and that holds up the momentum. They regroup and move the ball across the line.

They go lateral again back to Jack O’Donoghue and Casey eventually dinks the ball forward and although Gloucester collect it, Munster end up with the penalty with Niall Scannell getting over the ball brilliantly.

18 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

Munster are down in the Gloucester ’22 for their lineout. Scannell finds Kleyn and begin the maul.

19 mins: Munster 0-3 Gloucester

HELD UP!

Harry Taylor makes the turnover when Scannell was trying to advance off the back of the maul.

TRY! Munster 7-3 Gloucester (Dan Kelly ’21)

23 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

That’s more like it from Munster!

Charlie Atkinson kicks it forward for to Haley. His attempted kick-chase is initially blocked but the ball bounces back to him again. He’s brought down but Dan Kelly is coming in hard and fast to gather and barrel over after being briefly held up.

25 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Gloucester get a big lift from a 50:22. What can they do with this?

28 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Munster win the ball back but Gloucester come at them again and there was a hint of try there after a beautiful behind the back pass from Josh Hathaway. It’s forward though so Munster are spared. 

30 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Munster hold well in the scrum and Casey gets them going again. But there’s more sloppy play as a pass goes to ground. No knock-on though so they retain the ball.

The move ends in a Casey kick which Shane Daly goes after but Gloucester survive the pressure.

31 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Nice crossfield kick from O’Connor to bring Munster forward again for a Gloucester lineout on their ’22.

32 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Gloucester send it long to Daly who fails to secure the ball at the first time of asking. Casey kicks into touch after some phases.

32 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

The TMO wants the referee to check a clearout challenge on Crowley. It looks bad into the neck on the replays but the referee is deliberating. 

32 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

YELLOW CARD!

Jamal Ford-Robinson is sent to the bin for the challenge.

33 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Munster penalty and Crowley is setting up for a kick at the posts!

34 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

PENALTY WIDE!

There’s a swirling wind in Cork and it forces Crowley’s shot to go past the wrong side of the posts.

35 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Crowley throws the ball out wide and Daly makes brilliant use of the space. They look to be in but they’re eventually held up.

The referee brings the play back for a high tackle. And this time, Crowley goes for the corner.

36 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

It’s not a clean ball, so there’s no maul. And it looks like Josh Basham who forces the turnover and wins the penalty for Gloucester.

Huge opportunity missed there for Munster to get points. First from the missed penalty and then not converting a chance at a try.

37 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Daly takes a mark and the resultant kick to push Gloucester back.

39 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Super kick from Barton.

Not quite a 50:22 but he slices it beautifully, and Munster will have to defend again with half-time looming.

39 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Munster win their lineout and Casey boots it away. Gloucester start again and starting working the phases.

39 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Ball goes forward!

Munster can see out the half with their lead intact if they can hold firm in the scrum.

41 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

They decide to play on and string some good passes together. Crowley delays the pass to try and send Haley through.

Some gaps are forming in the Gloucester defence. Can they get another score?

41 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

They’re literally on the line. Just one more surge needed.

Half-Time! Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Munster fail to get that last shove that was needed, as they get held up. That’s disappointing as they’ve left some tries behind them in that first half. It was very scrappy at the beginning but Munster did start to get into a bit of a rhythm as the half progressed.

Still some errors creeping in though and they will need a big effort to take more control of the game in the second half.

Munster 7-3 Gloucester

So Dan Kelly’s converted try separates the sides at the break, with Gloucester also on the scoreboard through that George Barton penalty.

Second half: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

40 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Tadhg Beirne gets a nudge while trying to gather the ball and Crowley will take the kick. 

41 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

That’s not what he was looking for as he fails to find touch.

42 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

A Gloucester kick goes out on the full. Gloucester then get a free kick and go to the air again.

45 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

Another scrappy start as Gloucester win a scrum in the middle of the field. And they win the penalty too as Michael Ala’alatoa is punished.

49 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

They find touch despite that biting wind and win the lineout. They recycle the ball and a kick over the defence is gathered by Haley.

O’Connor then does brilliantly to chase down a return kick and completely smothers Barton to give his team time to get up there.

49 mins: Munster 7-3 Gloucester

The referee takes the front rows aside for a bit of a talk before a Munster scrum takes place.

Casey gathers at the back as Crowley offloads to O’Connor who makes a gain.

TRY! Munster 12-3 Gloucester (Mike Haley ’49)

51 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Lovely attacking play there from Munster finally produces a reward as Haley goes in at the corner after a lovely offload from Nankivell under pressure.

Crowley misses the conversion but Munster have their second try of the evening.

53 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Munster change: Tom Farrell comes in to replace the first-half try-scorer Dan Kelly.

55 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Very skillful bit of play there from Munster. Crowley creates it with a wonderful step. Casey then tries a skip pass out to O’Connor on the wing. It bounces into O’Connor’s hands and he races in for the try but it’s forward.

That’s better from Munster. They’re showing some creativity and vision but the sharpness is still lacking slightly.

56 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Munster knock the ball on again. And that is such a frustrating aspect of their play. The pass was for Beirne and his timing is just a bit off as the ball bounces off him.

Gloucester will look to get out again and get a chance to reboot.

58 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Gloucester’s Arthur Clark is penalised and Munster get the decision. Munster go for the corner.

58 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Another Munster penalty. They want the maul again.

60 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Beirne claims from the lineout but Munster get pushed back a bit. Gavin Coombes then makes a big gain and they’re back inside the five-metre line again.

62 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

KNOCK-ON!

Farrell makes the error after another sequence of great attacking play. But that final product eludes them once more.

Munster changes: Edwin Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn, Josh Wycherley are all in as Jean Kleyn, Michael Milne and Jack O’Donoghue make way.

62 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Munster change: Diarmuid Barron also comes in for Scannell.

64 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

More scrappy rugby as Gloucester repel Munster to their ’22. Munster win the lineout and march forward once more.

 

65 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

Munster try to find the holes but can’t create the space as the play becomes quite lateral.  Nankivell throws the ball forward and that’s the story of Munster’s night in many ways.

65 mins: Munster 12-3 Gloucester

What a break!

Casey blows everyone away as he runs onto a loose ball and just takes off. It comes to Haley who gets hauled down and there’s a Munster penalty.

TRY! Munster 19-3 Gloucester (Ruadhán Quinn ’68)

70 mins: Munster 19-3 Gloucester 

Munster get over the line after a quick penalty with Casey releasing the ball and substitute Ruadhán Quinn driving over. That’s try number three with the bonus point within reach now.

72 mins: Munster 19-3 Gloucester 

Munster change: JJ Hanrahan & Paddy Patterson replace Mike Haley and Craig Casey

72 mins: Munster 19-3 Gloucester 

Munster are knocking on the door again. Another penalty after forcing the turnover from the Gloucester scrum.

TRY! Munster 26-3 Gloucester (Tom Farrell ’73)

74 mins: Munster 26-3 Gloucester 

And there you go. Bonus point secured as Munster really start dominating proceedings in the final stages.

Tom Farrell goes in under the posts after a lovely assist from Nankivell.

TRY! Munster 31-3 Gloucester (Tadhg Beirne ’76)

Full-Time! Munster 31-3 Gloucester

Munster 31-3 Gloucester

And that is that!

It was far from pretty but they get the job done. A five-try display at Páirc Uí Chaoimh with Dan Kelly, Mike Haley, Ruadhán Quinn, Tom Farrell and Tadhg Beirne all crossing over.

Munster 31-3 Gloucester 

Well that’s all from us, folks. Before you go, have a read of Murray Kinsella’s match report live from Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

We hope you enjoyed tonight’s coverage and look forward to having you with us again soon. Until next time, bye bye!

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