Munster Hit Kings For Six In Historic First Meeting

Munster secured a 39-22 bonus point win over the Southern Kings in the sides’ first ever GUINNESS PRO14 meeting at Outeniqua Park in George tonight.

Over 250 Munster fans made the long trip to South Africa for the round 19 clash and were rewarded with an impressive comeback, which saw Johann van Graan’s men recover from a 15-3 first half deficit to end up as convincing winners.

Try-scoring replacement Dave Kilcoyne was the man-of-the-match on his 150th appearance for the province having replaced the injured James Cronin early on, with CJ Stander, who captained Munster in his hometown the day after his 28th birthday, also scoring and receiving a standing ovation when he departed late on.

Niall Scannell, Calvin Nash, Dan Goggin and Rhys Marshall also touched down with Munster remaining six points clear of the Toyota Cheetahs – their opponents in Bloemfontein next Friday – in the hunt for second place in Conference A. Goggin’s score, his first senior try for Munster, was the pick of the bunch with Ian Keatley landing one penalty and three conversions.

Full-bacl Masixole Banda missed an early penalty chance for the hosts before Cronin, who is being assessed by the medical team, left the pitch with an injury. On the quarter hour mark, Keatley slotted over his first shot at the posts to give Munster a 3-0 lead.

A yellow card for big lock Gerbrandt Grobler for an illegal 25th-minute clear-out at a ruck, just as Munster pressed in sight of the try-line, gave the Kings a numerical advantage and subsequent tries from Andisa Ntsila and Stephan Greeff moved them nine points clear.

A Banda penalty goal then made it 15-3 before Grobler returned, but Shannon clubman Stephen Fitzgerald made a positive impact off the bench, running well and testing the home defence after Goggin was temporarily removed for running repairs to a facial injury.

Hooker Scannell forced his way over the whitewash from close range after Munster started to play more direct rugby. They were rewarded again when Fitzgerald and Grobler both carried strongly and a superb inside pass from JJ Hanrahan sent Nash through a gap and the 20-year-old Academy winger brilliantly scorched past the Kings defence, producing a classy finish to the left of the posts. Keatley pulled the conversion to the left, though, as Munster went off at the break with a narrow 15-13 deficit.

The Champions Cup semi-finalists made a strong start to the second period with Keatley stretching his legs on a defence-splitting break. Skipper Stander then powered over for his 47th-minute try beside the posts, an excellent Alex Wootton kick in behind the defence helping to set up the score. Keatley’s conversion gave Munster a 20-15 advantage before Goggin’s try of the season contender.

The 53rd-minute move started when the Kings turned the ball over deep in Munster territory, and Keatley picked it up, running cross-field before swinging it wide for Conor Oliver. He helped it on to Rory Scannell whose lovely looping pass invited Nash up the right touchline. He turned on the after-burners before passing back inside for Scannell whose deliciously deft offload had Goggin covering the final 40 metres for a sumptuous score. Hanrahan was off target with the conversion.

Stout defence from the men in red repelled the South Africans just past the hour before replacement hooker Marshall burrowed over in the 68th minute, with Keatley’s conversion giving Munster a 32-15 lead with the win all but secured.

Another purposeful attack led to try number six as the game entered the final 10 minutes. With the Kings coming under further pressure in their 22, Keatley took a quick tap and fed Kilcoyne who was unstoppable from a few metres out. The out-half added the extras to put 24 points between the sides.

It was very much job done as Stander was called ashore with eight minutes remaining, and Munster’s replacements in the final quarter included scrum half Jack Stafford, the second 20-year-old Academy player from Limerick on the field. The Kings scored an outstanding try of their own to gain some late consolation, attacking from well inside their own half with winger Michael Makase finishing off a fantastic move.

In his post-match interview, Munster head coach van Graan said: “I thought that it was a very good contest, we were pinned in our half for the first part of the game. We managed to get some momentum and a few try-scoring opportunities, but I thought that the Kings really defended well.

“The breakdown was a really tough battle. We went down a man and conceded two tries – it was good composure from our side to get back in the game. To me, the turning point of the game was when we got a penalty right on the stroke of half-time and decided to go for touch and get a maul going with lots of momentum for the try.

“In the second half we were structurally better. We lifted our tempo with our impact, and we closed out the game very well, so I’m very happy with the five points.”