Varley opened the scoring with a try after just four minutes folowing good approach work from Denis Leamy. London Irish out-half Ryan Lamb reduced the deficit with an eight minute penalty but despite dominating proceeding for the next fifteen minutes Irish could not breach the Munster defensive line.

In the 29th minute Tommy O'Donnell scored the second try and Manning added the extras and after that with London Irish reduced to 14 after number 8 Chris Hala ' Ufia was binned for throwing a punch Munster went further ahead, Paul Warwick's clever little kick-through grounded by winger Danny Barnes. Manning's conversion, his eight successive effort with the placed ball

Munster: D Hurley; D Riordan, T Gleeson, P Warwick capt, D Barnes; J Manning, T Morland; D Ryan, D Varley, T Buckley;  I Nagle, B Holland, T O'Donnell, N Ronan, D Leamy. Replacement (from): D Fogarty, J Brugnaut, R O'Mahony, S Archer, F Jones, S Deasy, P Stringer, E Grace, M O'Driscoll,

London Irish: D Armitage; A Thompstone, T Homer, C Gower, S Tagicakibau; R Lamb, P Richards; D Murphy, D Paice, P Ion; G Johnson, K Roche; R Thorpe, S Armigage, C Hala'Ufia. (Replacements from): C Dermody; J Buckland; A Perry,  N Kennedy; P Hodgson; J Lennard; D Danaher; J Fisher; G Stowers; J Joseph; A Lalanne; M Watson.