RABO-DIRECT PRO12 SEMI-FINAL Ospreys 45 Munster 10:MUNSTER'S SEASON ended in a horror defeat at the Liberty Stadium last night as the champions were blown away by an Ospreys side who scored at will.
It was a miserable end to a traumatic season for Munster and a horrible way for Tony McGahan’s reign to come to an end.
It could have been so different but the game turned in the final minute of the opening half when Munster, looking to reduce a six-point deficit, were hit from deep and the game ended as a contest Kahn Fotuali’I touched down under the posts at the other end for a 23-10 half-time lead.
It was a brilliant move, starting when fullback Richard Fussell decided against the east option of kicking to touch to end the half.
Instead he broke, turned inside Peter O’Mahony, while Simon Zebo slipped as he came forward to tackle inside halfway. Fussell darted forward with number eight Joe Bearman on his shoulder to feed scrumhalf Fotuali’I to dot down under the posts, with Dan Biggar bringing his first-half total to 18 points with the conversion.
And it had started so well for Munster with Lifeimi Mafi and, in particular Keith Earls, slicing the home defence apart for Ian Keatley to race over after just two minutes.
Keatley added the points but with the Munster lineout in trouble, Ospreys struck back. Biggar reduced the margin with a penalty and then when Munster looked like they had got out of jail when Shane Williams put a foot in touch before racing through to score, Munster lost the lineout and conceded their first try.
Biggar supplied the finish with an interchange with Bearman, before the outhalf added the points for a 10-7 lead after 11 minutes.
Munster, who lost Felix Jones to a shoulder injury before the game, then saw Johne Murphy limp off with Ronan O’Gara coming on and Keatley moving to fullback.
Keatley levelled the game with a good penalty from 45 metres but Biggar landed a brace of penalties to lead 16-10 after 29 minutes.
Munster took control after that and looked set to finish the half on a high before they were hit with that sucker-punch just before the break.
Munster needed a big start to the second half but while they got on top in the early stages they could not find a way through, with Zebo knocking on in the tackle five metres from the line three minutes after the restart when a try would have been such a big boost to the champions.
Instead, it was Ospreys who increased their lead when Munster were wheeled on their own scrum and from the reset BJ Botha was penalised and Biggar landed the penalty from 45 metres to make it 26-10. In the process the Welsh outhalf, still only 22, took his career haul for Ospreys past the 1,000 points mark.
Then South African Hanno Dirksen got their third try to make it 31-10. There was no way back for Munster after that and it turned into a damage limitation exercise after Andrew Bishop raced through for their fourth try after 62 minutes, with Biggar again adding the points to turn the screw even further.
Ospreys’ ability to hold on the ball continued to prove telling and it was no surprise when they got a fifth try 10 minutes from the end when replacement scrumhalf Rhys Webb scored under the posts.
It seemed inevitable that Ospreys would pass the half-century mark but it was scant consolation that they didn’t as McGahan’s reign as Munster boss came to a dismal end on a night when the likes of Mafi, Tomás O’Leary and Denis Fogarty also bade farewell as they fell to an horrific defeat.
But they could have no complaints as it was all Ospreys after Munster’s bright opening and the task facing new coach Rob Penney was put in perspective as the champions bowed out with one of their worst displays in recent years.
OSPREYS: R Fussell; H Dirksen, A Bishop, A Beck, S Williams; D Biggar, K Fotuali'i; P James, R Hibbard, A Jones, A Wyn Jones, I Evans, R Jones, J Tipuric, J Bearman. Replacements: R Webb for Fotuali'I, R Bevington for James (both 55 mins), A Jarvis for A Jones (64 mins), T Smith for Wyn Jones, J King for R Jones (both 70 mins), M Morgan for Biggar (76 mins).
MUNSTER: J Murphy: I Dineen, K Earls, L Mafi, S Zebo; I Keatley, C Murray; W du Preez, M Sherry, BJ Botha, Donncha OCallaghan, M ODriscoll, D Ryan, T ODonnell, P OMahony. Replacements: R O'Gara for Murphy (23 mins), Dave O'Callaghan for Donncha O'Callaghan (52 mins), T O'Leary for Murray (55 mins), D Fogarty for Sherry, D Barnes for Keatley (both 68 mins), P Butler for Ryan (71 mins), S Archer for Botha, D Kilcoyne for Du Preez (both 73 mins).
Referee: A Rolland(IRFU).
