A brilliant Munster performance saw the province score six tries and secure a third bonus-point win to start the season at the Parc y Scarlets on Sunday afternoon.
Vibrant attacking play and a relentless, rock-solid defence laid the platform with Jack O’Sullivan, Liam Coombes (two), Calvin Nash, Jeremy Loughman and Player of the Match Chris Cloete scoring the tries as Ben Healy kicked 12 points.
Replacement RG Snyman limped from the field of play after an hour, 10 minutes after entering the fray, and will be assessed by the medical team.
Regarding the injury, Johann van Graan said: “We are pretty worried about it. He’ll need to go for a scan & we’ll see what’s ahead of him then.
“We’ll all rally around him and make sure he’s well looked after.”
Munster’s first-ever 50:22 from Healy got the province into position for the first try as O’Sullivan picked a great line and Neil Cronin timed his pass perfectly for the back-row forward to gallop through and score.
More inventive Munster attack led to a penalty after Scarlets were pinged for not rolling away and Healy made it 10-0.
A huge moment from Nash in defence saw the winger deny Steff Evans in the corner with Munster eventually awarded a scrum for an earlier knock-on. The pack then won a penalty to continue their strong start.
Scarlets did get off the mark thanks to a long-range Costelow penalty before a superb second Munster try saw Nash skin Evans on his outside before passing inside for Coombes to score.
Another thrilling Munster break would have yielded a third try as Cloete won a turnover with hooker Diarmuid Barron jinking through challenges like a winger before hacking ahead but the bounce wasn’t kind and the ball went forward.
Scarlets were back in in through a Johnny McNicholl try off a counter attack with Costelow the architect.
Costelow’s conversion and a second Scarlets penalty reduced the Munster lead to four, 17-13.
Johann van Graan’s side had the final say in the first half though as Healy floated a superb pass to Nash and the winger dotted down after an acrobatic finish to make it 22-14 at the interval.
Munster scored the bonus-point try on 44 minutes as Loughman finished off great work from the forwards following a lineout and Healy converted for a 29-13 advantage.
Big Munster defence, led by Cloete and Fineen Wycherley prevented Scarlets from hitting back with the Munster pack outstanding in their maul defence.
The victory was clinched on 58 minutes as O’Donoghue made a midfield break and chipped through for Coombes to gather brilliantly and score his second. Healy’s conversion made it 36-13.
A sixth try from Cloete followed on 62 minutes after a consultation with the TMO as the flanker broke through from five metres to score the sixth Munster try.
Healy’s conversion made it 43-13 and that’s how it stayed as Munster recorded a memorable victory in Wales.
Munster face Connacht at Thomond Park on Saturday with the biggest crowd of the season so far set to attend. Get your tickets here.
Munster: Matt Gallagher; Calvin Nash, Liam Coombes, Dan Goggin, Shane Daly; Ben Healy (Jack Crowley, 64), Neil Cronin (Paddy Patterson, 64); Jeremy Loughman (Josh Wycherley, 61), Diarmuid Barron (Kevin O’Byrne, 61), Stephen Archer (John Ryan, 51); Thomas Ahern (RG Snyman, 51) (Jack Daly, 61), Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), Chris Cloete (Alex Kendellen, 70), Jack O’Sullivan.
United Rugby Championship Round 3 Round-Up
Chris Cloete was named Player of the Match.
RG Snyman limped off and will be assessed by the medical team.
Liam Coombes scored two tries on his first start at centre.
Starters Matt Gallagher, Coombes and Neil Cronin, and replacements Kevin O’Byrne, Josh Wycherley, Jack Crowley, Jack Daly and Academy duo Alex Kendellen and Paddy Patterson all made their first appearances of the season.
Ben Healy, Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer, Thomas Ahern, Chris Cloete and Jack O’Sullivan made their first starts of the new campaign.