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Report | Munster Beat Quins In Thriller At Stoop

February 23, 2024 10:07 pm By The Editor

Fineen Wycherley and Neil Cronin celebrate Cronin

Fineen Wycherley and Neil Cronin celebrate Cronin's try. Inpho

Munster ran out 43-35 winners over Harlequins after a hugely entertaining clash at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday night.

Mike Haley, Alex Kendellen, Shay McCarthy, Tony Butler, Jack Daly, Neil Cronin and Shannon’s Stephen Kiely were the try-scorers on a great night’s rugby in London.

Munster were eager to get the ball moving from the off and led 14-0 after 17 minutes thank to two really well-worked tries.

Haley scored the first on seven minutes after Munster put the ball through the hands to Fionn Gibbons on the right wing and his pass inside released Haley to dot down.

The second try was a clever lineout move as Jack Daly took the lineout and Munster faked a rolling maul before Kendellen broke clear down the blindside and blasted through the last defender.

Carbery slotted the touchline conversion for a 14-0 advantage.

The hosts hit back on 25 minutes after Jack Walker broke off a rolling maul to score with Will Edwards converting.

From the restart, Academy winger Shay McCarthy chased hard and caught Quins napping as he charged down the clearance and showed good composure to score in the left corner.

The final score of an exciting first half went to Harlequins as the Edwards scored under the posts off a slick backline move and converted himself with Munster 19-14 ahead at the interval.

Harlequins went in front within a minute of the restart but tries from Tony Butler and Jack Daly put Munster back in the driving seat at 31-21 as Butler converted Daly’s try.

Neil Cronin scored under the posts after a brilliant break and pass from Fineen Wycherley with Butler’s conversion make it 38-21.

Shannon winger Stephen Kiely scored the seventh Munster try after 65 minutes following a stunning Munster move that featured nearly every player on the team getting a touch as Colm Hogan provided the assist with a superb offload.

That score put Munster 43-21 ahead and that proved enough to take the win despite two later Harlequins tries.

Round-Up

Academy hooker Max Clein and Academy out-half Dylan Hicks made their first senior appearances for Munster.

Eight Academy players and two club players featured in the game.

Tries:

Cons:

Tries: Mike Haley, Alex Kendellen, Shay McCarthy, Tony Butler, Jack Daly, Neil Cronin and Stephen Kiely.

Cons: Joey Carbery (two), Tony Butler (two)

Harlequins: Cameron Anderson; Nick David, Lennox Anyanwu, Bryn Bradley, Cassius Cleaves; Will Edwards, Max Green; Santiago Garcia Botta, Jack Walker, Will Collier; Joe Launchbury, Stephan Lewies (C); Will Trenholm, Will Evans, James Chisholm.

Replacements (all used): Nathan Jibulu, Simon Kerrod, Lovejoy Chawatama, Irne Herbst, George Hammond, Matas Jurevicius, Tom Lawday, Lewis Gjaltema, Connor Slevin, Roma Zheng.

Munster: Mike Haley (Colm Hogan, h-t); Fionn Gibbons, Seán O’Brien (Dylan Hicks, 68), Rory Scannell, Shay McCarthy (Stephen Kiely, 41); Joey Carbery (Tony Butler, h-t), Ethan Coughlan (Neil Cronin, 61); Josh Wycherley (Mark Donnelly, 55), Scott Buckley (Max Clein, 55), John Ryan (Stephen Archer, 55); Fineen Wycherley, Cian Hurley (Kamil Nowak, 77); Jack Daly, Alex Kendellen (C) (Daniel Okeke, 66), Jack O’Sullivan.

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