News article – Style E 2306

Munster took full advantage of Gloucester’s slip-up in Perpignan to boost their
Pool 2 try tally against Viadana. The Italians were still nursing bruises from
last weekend’s 64-0 thumping, and fared little better on their home turf at
the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella.

Munster’s victory and Gloucester’s loss means everything rests on the pair’s
meeting at 4pm on Saturday, January 18, at Thomond Park. Munster centre Mike
Mullins was over the line in only the third minute, and despite a fifth-minute
penalty goal from home fullback Casper Steyn, things went rapidly downhill for
Viadana. New Zealand-born centre Jason Holland scored after 15 minutes, and
backrower Alan Quinlan went in for the first of his two tries after 25 minutes.
The pain would have been worse for Viadana if British Lion Ronan O’Gara hadn’t
missed all three conversions. Hooker Frank Sheahan and Quinlan scored in the
leadup to halftime, with O’Gara converting both to give his side a 29-3 lead
at the break.
Winger John Kelly took that out to 36-3 before the Viadana faithful were rewarded
with a try. Scrum-half Paul Roux scampered over and Steyn’s conversion took
the home side into double figures. Roux’s try was merely a speedbump for the
men from Munster, and Anthony Foley, Holland and Sheahan took the visitors’
try tally up to nine, with O’Gara adding conversions to take his side past the
50-point mark for the second time in eight days. The 2,000 fans at the ground
didn’t go away empty-handed. Inside centre Harley Crane and winger Roberto Pedrazzi
scored second-half tries, but the Italians were simply out-classed on the day.

A second half fightback by Ulster had Biarritz hanging on desperately in this
key Heineken Cup Pool 6 game before the Frenchmen scraped home 25-20.

Trailing 3-15 at halftime Ulster mounted a gritty response and were given a
fillip when full-back Bryn Cunningham joined the attack to pierce the Biarritz
defence and race over. All action flanker Andy Ward grabbed a second try and
scrum-half Neil Doak kept the scoreboard ticking over with two conversions and
a penalty to add to his first half effort. But Biarritz kept their noses in
front with a try from full-back Jean-Emmanuel Cassin converted by Dimitri Yachvili
who also booted a penalty.

They led 25-13 at one stage by a game Ulster side kept their defence at full
stretch as they searched for more points. Biarritz looked to have the game done
and dusted at halftime with tries from centre John Isaac and lock David Couzinet
and a conversion and penalty from Yachvili. Ulster could only manage a penalty
from Doak but their second half show bore little resemblance to the way they
shouldered their responsibility afterwards to their travelling fans.