Daly And Kendellen Score To Steer Munster Back To Winning Ways

A month on from Graham Rowntree’s departure, Munster returned to winning ways in the BKT United Rugby Championship with a 17-10 victory over the Emirates Lions.

The Lions made their Thomond Park debut and led 10-7 at half-time, Kade Wolhuter kicking a penalty after Thaakir Abrahams’ first Munster try had been cancelled out by a superb Henco van Wyk score.

However, five-pointers from replacement Shane Daly and Alex Kendellen ended Munster’s three-match losing run in the URC and gave interim head coach Ian Costello a result to build on.

Munster’s stand-in captain Diarmuid Barron showed the way with an early break, while a Billy Burns touchfinder also pinned the Lions back.

Their South African speedster Abrahams successfully squeezed over under Richard Kriel’s tackle in the 15th minute, having scooped up John Ryan’s bouncing pass. Billy Burns converted.

Abrahams then helped to bring down a Lions maul, but the visitors’ outside backs were beginning to cause problems.

There was no stopping centre van Wyk on an outstanding 27th-minute run, beating six defenders, including bouncing off Mike Haley’s attempted tackle, before grounding the ball under Gavin Coombes.

Wolhuter landed a levelling conversion before his penalty just four minutes later handed a slim advantage to the South Africans, who had lost away to Leinster last time out.

Barely two minutes into the second half, Abrahams used turnover ball to surge down the right before sending Daly over.

Driven on by player-of-the-match Jack O’Donoghue, Munster moved 17-10 ahead when Kendellen, with support from Ryan, burrowed over in the 53rd minute. Burns was off target again with his conversion attempt.

The Lions’ best chance to respond came early on in the final quarter, as they took Munster through 13 phases before Paddy Patterson got his boot to the ball to break up the attack.