Munster March On Into Quarter-Finals

Munster have qualified for their fifteenth Heineken Cup quarter-final in 16 years after defeating Gloucester 20-7 in a rip-roaring round 5 fixture at Kingsholm.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: GLOUCESTER 7 MUNSTER 20

Munster produced an impressive defensive display in keeping the Cherry and Whites at bay and the non-stop action was matched by the vocal support from the stands, terraces and the famous Shed, appropriately renamed the ‘Red Shed’ by the Munster gathering for the sold-out encounter.

In the opening minutes Gloucester were first to attack with Dan Robson opting for the kick and chase down the right wing, but Ian Keatley did well to sprint back and deny an early score for the home side.

Munster powered back with a dominant scrum on the halfway mark and Keatley kicked for territory.

From the Munster lineout, returning scrum half Conor Murray put boot to ball with Johne Murphy chasing, but Gloucester winger Charlie Sharples was on hand to claim the bounce and was quick to counter attack advancing back into Munster’s half.

Referee Leighton Hodges awarded a penalty to Gloucester but their captain Billy Twelvetrees missed with his opening kick after 10 minutes.

Keatley returned with a cross-field kick which released Earls sprinting down the touchline, but Gloucester’s Martyn Thomas was quick to react and Earls bundled him straight into touch for the lineout.

The resulting pressure led to an opening penalty chance and the out-half kicked Munster’s first points after 20 minutes.

Two minutes later Gloucester were awarded their second penalty chance when Munster were pinged for not releasing but England centre Twelvetrees was once again off target and Munster still led 3-0.

The Gloucester line was finally broken after a period of Munster pressure with the increasingly influential Keatley again involved.

He dinked a grubber kick through the English side’s defence and this time Earls pounced on it to run in from the right wing. With the extras added, Rob Penney’s men led 10-0 after 32 minutes.

The high tempo continued and Gloucester took advantage with a terrific try on the stroke of half-time.

The margin was reduced significantly when the speedy Sharples weaved his way through the Munster defence to score – after former Ireland Under-20 international Shane Monahan had made the initial inroads – and Freddie Burns added the conversion.

Gloucester opened the second period in a similar vein to the opening half, sending waves of attack at Munster’s defensive line.

Nigel Davies’ side continued with their attacking form and sought to batter the Munster defence with physicality and direct running.

But the province sustained the pressure and continued to turnover possession with the choke tackle working particularly well, and Munster’s wingers bundling Gloucester attackers into touch at crucial times.

Captain Peter O’Mahony and man-of-the-match Paul O’Connell inspired an immense performance from the Munster pack, whose work-rate never faltered despite a frenetic pace.

The visiting forwards were rewarded with some renewed pressure on Gloucester’s set piece at 58 minutes, releasing Murray with a great break deep into Gloucester territory.

The pack once again built the phases, using the platform of a close-in scrum. Flanker Tommy O’Donnell did well to take the ball on as Munster drove Gloucester backwards.

Skipper O’Mahony then spotted a weakness in the home defence, moving swiftly to the left of a ruck to plunge in for his side’s crucial second try, with television match official Gareth Simmonds confirming the score.

Keatley added the extras to give the RaboDirect PRO12 leaders a ten-point cushion going into the final 20 minutes.

With 10 minutes remaining Keatley tagged on the game’s final score when kicking his second penalty after a Gloucester infringement.

Head coach Penney capped Munster’s fourth pool win on the trot by emptying the bench in the final minutes, including fit-again winger Simon Zebo’s first appearance since October.