Two-Try Ahern Excels As Munster Topple Glasgow In Cork

Munster turned in an electric attacking performance to beat BKT United Rugby Championship leaders Glasgow Warriors 40-29 at Musgrave Park.

Putting last week’s defeat to Leinster behind them, Munster bagged their bonus point inside 36 minutes as tries from Edwin Edogo, Tom Ahern (2) and captain Diarmuid Barron had them leading 26-5.

Glasgow conceded twice while Nathan McBeth was in the sin bin, but a Sione Vailanu maul try – and Johnny Matthews’ eighth of the season just after the restart – kept them in the hunt.

Further scores from Rory Darge and replacement Angus Fraser, coupled with a penalty try, gave Glasgow a bonus point, yet Munster were always at least 11 points in front thanks to Alex Nankivell’s first try for the province and a final effort from John Hodnett.

While disappointed to concede five tries in the end, six-try Munster had a decisive buffer thanks to a terrific opening 40 minutes under the floodlights in Cork.

Ahern, tonight‘s BKT URC player-of-the-match, was central to that. His recent move to blindside flanker has seen him showcase his athleticism and versatility, and he has started the season with four tries in seven appearances.

With the table toppers leaking five penalties inside the opening six minutes, Nankivell and Gavin Coombes carried strongly before Edogbo dived in under the posts for the first of the game’s 11 tries.

Capitalising on prop McBeth’s sin-binning for not rolling away, Ahern then collected a Jack Crowley cross-field kick, despite Sean Kennedy appearing to tackle him out in the air, and powered over in the left corner.

Brilliant hands and running from Antoine Frisch and Ahern spearheaded a superb 15th-minute attack, which a sidestepping Barron applied the finishing touches to. Crowley converted neatly from the left.

This one will be replayed for a number of years to come, and will rank right up as one of Munster’s best ever tries. Frisch and Ahern’s sharpness on the ball initiated a breathless break from deep.

The Waterford youngster (23) combined with Sean O’Brien who darted past halfway and kicked infield for Nankivell to gather and get within eight metres of the line. Craig Casey was quickly in to feed Barron who stepped inside Josh McKay to touch down.

Duncan Weir’s excellent touchfinder from a 25th-minute penalty saw flanker Vailanu close the gap to 19-5 from the resulting maul.

Scott Cummings lifted Glasgow further with two lineout steals, but Frisch and Coombes beat two defenders each before Ahern scored out wide again.

The visitors, who had only lost two of their seven games against Irish opposition. hit back when in-form hooker Matthews scored from a well-controlled 41st-minute maul.

That good work was undone when Glasgow were hit by the double whammy of Nankivell’s well-finished seven-pointer and a yellow card for Lucio Sordoni infringing at a ruck.

Munster could not deal with the Scots’ power-packed mauling through, as one drive was stopped before Darge piled over from a ruck.

Just past the hour mark, two more ground-gaining mauls earned Glasgow’s penalty try, making it 33-22 with Tadhg Beirne sent to the bin.

Hodnett crashed over from a tap penalty for a swift Munster response, with debutant Oli Jager helping to drive him over. Crowley tagged on his fifth conversion, before Fraser replied late on from another well-executed maul.