Rugby

Munster make light work of Zebre on return to URC action

Josh Wycherley’s try earns province a bonus point and keeps alive hopes of a home semi

Shane Daly tackles Pierre Bruno during Munster’s win over Zebre. Photograph: Matteo Ciambelli/Inpho

Sat Jan 29 2022 - 20:24

Zebre Parma 17 Munster 34

Josh Wycherley scored the crucial fourth try and Munster kept their URC home semi-final hopes alive with a bonus point win over Zebre in Parma.

Johann van Grann’s men hammered Wasps 45-7 last Sunday and a more experimental squad still managed to score five tries at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

Captain Jack O’Donoghue, Dan Goggin and Fineen Wyhcerley all scored to give Munster an unassailable 22-7 half-time lead.

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And there were further efforts from Josh Wycherley and Diarmuid Barron in the second half as Munster cruised to the win.

Zebre outhalf Timothy O’Malley dropped an early penalty attempt short but Munster eventually began to click and worked their way into opposition territory, before the hosts were pinged for not rolling away at a ruck. Replacement out-half Jack Crowley scored.

And he was involved again three minutes later when Liam Coombes worked a two-on-one on the edge and O’Donoghue touched down in the right corner.

Crowley missed the conversion and then starting No 10 Jack Flannery returned from his knock, with Munster in the ascendency at 8-0 ahead.

The next try arrived in the 29th minute when a well-worked lineout move resulted in Goggin blasting through the middle and scoring beside the posts.

Flannery’s conversion gave Munster a 15-0 lead and he converted again after Fineen Wycherley drove over from close range three minutes before the interval.

But Erich Cronjé intercepted Flannery’s rushed pass to score and the conversion from O’Malley meant Munster were 15 points ahead at the break.

O’Malley scored first in the second half too, when he slotted a penalty and the hosts came with some sustained pressure afterwards only for Munster to thwart their advances.

Munster had to wait until the 67th minute before Josh Wycherley barrelled over for the fourth try and Barron scored eight minutes from the end.

Zebre: J Laloifi; P Bruno, E Cronjé, E Lucchin, J Trulla; T O'Malley, M Violi; P Buonfiglio, O Fabiani, E Bello; D Sisi, A Zambonin; L Mitchell, I Bianchi, R Giammarioli. Replacements: G Zilocchi for Bello (49 mins), L Krumov for Zambonin (49 mins), A Fusco for Violi (51 mins), A Rizzi for O'Malley (51 mins), M Ceciliani for Fabiani (62 mins), A Lovotti for Buonfiglio (62 mins), G Bisegni for Bruno (67 mins), P J Leavasa for Giammarioli (74 mins). Tries: E Cronjé, J Laloifi. Cons: T O'Malley, A Rizzi. Pens: T O'Malley

Munster: M Gallagher; C Nash, L Coombes, D Goggin, S Daly; J Flannery, N Cronin; J Loughman, D Barron, K Knox; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O'Donoghue, J Hodnett, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: J Crowley for Flannery (9 mins), Flannery for Crowley (24 mins), C Farrell for Goggin (49 mins), J Wycherley for Loughman (56 mins), R Salanoa for Knox (56 mins), T Ahern for Kleyn (67 mins), A Kendellen for Hodnett (67 mins), Crowley for Flannery (71 mins), E Coughlan for Cronin (73 mins), S Buckley for Barron (74 mins). Tries: J O'Donoghue, D Goggin, F Wycherley, J Wycherley, D Barron Cons: J Flannery (3) Pens: J Crowley

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU).

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