HELPED by tries off the bench through Ruadhán Quinn and Tom Farrell, Munster secured a 31-3 clearcut bonus-point win over Gloucester in the Champions Cup at Cork’s SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (attendance: 36,200) over the weekend.
On his European debut, another impressive substitute showing came from Young Munster veteran Conor Bartley.
An opportunistic five-pointer close to the finish from captain Tadgh Beirne too helped the home side to maximum points.
Acknowledged winning coach Clayton McMillan: “They (the bench) brought what we expect from them. It’s a 23-man game now.”
“We put just as much time into the selection of our bench as we do into the starting guys because when we get into the back end of the game, we need those guys to inject something different to what’s already been out on the field and I thought they did well.”
In total, Munster scored five tries; Dan Kelly’s first-half effort had them 7-3 in front after 40 minutes, while Mike Haley touched down early in the second period.
Jack Crowley added the extras to three of those efforts.
Against a side which was unrecognisable to that which toppled Castres the previous weekend, it was only in the closing quarter tht Munster managed to put this contest to bed.
“The positive is we got the five points today and that was the target, and we got the job done,” McMillan concluded.
Craig Casey was a fitting choice as Player of the Match.
Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Ben O’Connor; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell, Michael Ala’alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne, captain; Tom Ahern, Jack O’Donoghue, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron (for Scannell, 60’), Josh Wycherley (for Milne 60’), Conor Bartley (for Ala’alatoa, 69’), Edwin Edogbo (for Kleyn, 60)’, Ruadhán Quinn (for O’Donoghue, 60’), Paddy Patterson (for Casey, 69’), JJ Hanrahan (for Haley, 69’), Tom Farrell (for Kelly, 52’).