MUNSTER – 36
GLOUCESTER – 22
It was all ticking along nicely for Gloucester until their discipline went out the window and Munster got to work.
Munster recorded a bonus point victory over a Gloucester side that were well in the Champions Cup contest until they lost their discipline and started connecting with heads.
An error-strewn start – with both lineouts malfunctioning – saw the game level at 0-0 until Gloucester lock Tom Savage was sin-binned for an illegal clear-out at the ruck. Dan Goggin copped a blow to the head, but it would get worse.
Soft hands from Peter O’Mahony freed Darren Sweetnam down the left and Tommy O’Donnell, who later went off with an ankle injury, was screaming for a pass from Duncan Williams that never came. That chance was wasted but Munster retained the ball and, 60 seconds later, Mike Haley was dotting down in the right-hand corner.
Danny Cipriani reduced arrears to 5-3, not long after Joey Carbery missed his conversion attempt but he would not be on the pitch much longer. The outhalf fronted up with a stiff shoulder to halt the charging Rory Scannell. He connected with the Munster centre’s head and a red card was the result.
Danny Cipriani has been sent off 🔴
He knew straight away he was going to be shown red for this tackle.
He apologised on his way off but his week has gone from bad to worse… pic.twitter.com/XGga2MHz2P
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 20, 2018
Carbery popped over the resulting penalty then Billy Twelvetrees was then fortunate not to follow Cipriani off when he hit Carbery high with another lusty shoulder. Rhys Marshall powered over for Munster’s second try after a tidy lineout maul set-play.
15-3 at half-time and this is where we must mention how well Tadhg Beirne had played in the first 40. The Munster lock stuck six tackles, made four carries, claimed two lineouts and forced three turnovers but he was far from finished.
Carbery to the fore
Gloucester were always going to be up against it and Munster, aware of this, pushed on for the early score that would hopefully sap their will. It arrived on 51 minutes when Carbery, with a three-on-one out on the left wing, faked a couple of passes to Haley and sauntered over.
Having scored his first European try for Munster, Carbery then turned creator. He found substitute Sam Arnold on the charge for the bonus point score and then teed up Andrew Conway to glide over for try number five.
If it sounds like a walkover, it was not. Gloucester fought bravely with 14 men and were rewarded with tries from Jason Woodward and former Munster lock Gerbrandt Grobler.
Sammy Arnold was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, late in the piece and Gloucester gave themselves a small chance of leaving Limerick with a losing bonus point when Ben Morgan crashed over.
Stephen Archer joined Arnold in the bin for a neck-wrangle on Morgan but the 13 men of Munster shut the game out.
OUR MAN OF THE MATCH: Tadhg Beirne (Munster)
