FULL-TIME: MUNSTER 33-3 LIONS. Munster secure a 30 point win here nut they were ably assisted by poor Lions play. The conditions did not help but neither did the decision making from the Lions throughout the game. Thank you for joining us,
TRY, MUNSTER, BUCKLEY! 33-3: Munster with a penalty at the breakdown inside the Lions 22 and they feed a set-piece 12 metres out. The line-out is secured and they STORM OVER for Scott Buckley to earn hus second of the night! The conversion is OVER!
CONVERSION, MUNSTER, HEALY! 26-3: Healy adds two more.
TRY, MUNSTER, COOMBES! 24-3: Relief for the Lions yet again, as Munster mess up the line-out. The Lions with a poor kick straight to Coombes. He then runs at an angle and poor Lions tackling ensures that he runs home from almost 30 metres. Really poor from the Lions.
It's yet another Lions scrum penalty. Needless to say the Lions cannot make Munster pay before they go off their geet to hand the Irish outfit a penalty. Munster find a brilliant touch.
It's getting a tad scrappy now with tired legs and these horrible conditions. Mistakes all over the show now.
Great work by the Lions at the scrum to secure yet another penalty and earn relief.
Patterson with a brilliant kick after a scrum and it rolls all the way to near the Lions' 22. Munster then secure a scrum put-in at the breakdown.
The Lions Secure a scrum penalty and set up the line-out outside the 22. Once again the ball is spilled by Marius Louw running at an angle after the set-piece is secured. It's just not working for them!
Relief for the Lions, as Munster mess up a line-out near halfway with a skew throw.
The Lions manage to clear a line-out 11 metres from their own line but fail to get out and clear the danger before kicking it away yet again. This time the kick was the only option.
The Lions have an offside penalty in the middle of the park and they fail to find touch. Munster on the attack right away!
CONVERSION, MUNSTER, HEALY! 19-3: Healy adds two more.
TRY, MUNSTER, PATTERSON! 17-3: The Lions are caught napping by Patterson down the middle. He sees a gap and as the Lions are all wide he runs home to score an easy try under the posts. The Lions look tired!
Great pressure from Munster who again reach the Lions five metre line before the Lions secure the turn-over at the breakdown! They find a good touch.
Munster move through the phases and into the Lions 22 before Coombes is HELD UP on the line! Good from the Lions there for a goal line drop-out.
The Lions start the second the way they ended the first on the attack. They reach the 22 before they spill it in the tackle. They somehow get it back and slowly progress into Munster territory yet again only to kick it away! YES!
Kick-off! We are back underway in the second half.
HALF-TIME: MUNSTER 12-3 LIONS. Needless to say the Lions mess up the line-out and we head to the break with the home team having the advantage. The Lions only have themselves to blame for being behind due to poor decision making. Please join us after the break.
After a reset the Lions secure another scrum penalty and Munster are warned. The Lions find a good touch!
Munster going through the phases and gradually progress to the Lions 10 metre line before Patterson knocks it on and that's a HUGE relief for the Lions.
The Lions have a penalty inside the Munster 22 and set up the attacking line-out. They secure the set-piece but after some more poor decision making Munster have it back. OH DEAR!
Once again the Lions manage to make the play and stay in the Munster half but they just cannot hold onto the crucial balls and again they kick possession away! Jordan Hendrikse is down and in need of attention!
CONVERSION, MUNSTER, HEALY! 12-3: This time Ben Healy slots the conversion.
TRY, MUNSTER, O'DONOGHUE! 10-3: No they cannot! The skipper Jack O’Donoghue is OVER and the Lions have only themselves to blame for slipping up!
The set-piece is secured but the Lions drive them back initially before Munster go wide. Great defence by the Lions but can they hold them out?
Munster make their way into Lions territory with ease after getting away with that penalty and they earn an offside penalty near the Lions 22 right in front. They go for the corner.
This time they clear the scrum and go wide before Hendrikse tries a kick but it hits a player and the Lions have it back. Six more phases and then they mess it all up by going off their feet at the breakdown. What a WASTE!
It's yet another scrum penalty as the Lions fail to make Munster pay though six phases. We will have another scrum.
A huge scrum by the Lions as they secure another penalty and opt for yet another scrum.
The Lions make their way to within five metres of the line with good handling despite these conditions. They string nine phases together before securing an offside penalty. They opt for the scrum.
It has been raining quite a bit here and it is muddy. Not great conditions.
TRY, MUNSTER, BUCKLEY! 5-3: Munster go for touch after a penalty. They get the rolling maul going and easy as pie Scott Buckley is OVER!
PENALTY, LIONS, HENDRIKSE! 0-3: The Lions draw fits blood after Hendrikse converts an easy kick!
Good first scrum by the Lions to assert their dominance!
Kick-off! We are underway here in the Republic of Ireland.
Match officials : Our referee is Hollie Davidson. She will be assisted by Andrew Cole and Sam Holt. The TMO is Sam Grove-White.
When these teams met in March on a hot Johannesburg afternoon the Lions secured victory by 23-21 but one would expect the hosts to dominate here in Cork this evening.
Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Stean Pienaar, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Emmanuel Tshituka, 7 Emile van Heerden, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Ruan Venter, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Pieter Botha, 1 Jean-Pierre Smith.
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Morgan Naudé, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Sibusiso Sangweni, 21 Andre Warner, 22 Gianni Lombard, 23 Manuel Rass.
Munster Rugby: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Shane Daly, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Liam Coombes, 10 Ben Healy, 9 Paddy Patterson, 8 Alex Kendellen, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Jack O’Donoghue (captain), 5 Gavin Coombes, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Roman Salanoa, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Josh Wycherley.
Replacements: 16 Scott Buckley, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Cian Hurley, 20 Jack O’Sullivan, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Dan Goggin, 23 Patrick Campbell.
In their last game Munster secured a narrow 15-14 victory over their Northern Irish rivals Ulster, while the Lions were thrashed 40-8 by the Stormers in Cape Town.
Munster are ninth on the URC log, while the Lions are two positions further down and three points adrift.
Good evening and welcome to Musgrave Park stadium for our coverage of this United Rugby Championship clash between Munster Rugby and the Lions.
