Munster got their Magners League campaign back on a winning track with a bonus point victory over Border Reivers at Netherdale. Munster scored two first half tries to lead 15-0 at half time and two early second half tries from man of the match Alan Quinlan, and Tim McGann sealed the outcome at an early stage.
The home side started well and it needed tackles first from Christian Cullen and then moments later from Frank Sheahan to prevent a try. Calum McRae had an opportunity to put Borders ahead but his forty-metre penalty was wide.
Munster’s first serious incursion into Borders territory ended with the opening score after the Borders were penalised at a line-out and Jeremy Manning landed the penalty from the 22 metre line.
Shortly after Munster’s number 8 James Coughlan was forced off with an ankle injury to be replaced by Donnacha Ryan and his steal of a Borders throw 23rd minute began the move that saw play go from the Munster 22 to a five metre line-out. Tim McGann crossed for the touchdown but referee James Jones adjudged that there had been crossing and disallowed the score.
Manning launched a super kick from inside own half to again gain Munster a foothold in the Borders 22 and when the ball was swept wide Cullen put a delicate chip through for Shaun Payne to win the race for the touchdown, Manning was just wide with the touchline conversion.
From the restart Ryan made the initial yardage and Lifeimi Mafi left the midfield defence for dead, his break taking play to the Borders line and after Munster had been denied several times, Sheahan stretched to get his side’s second try with Manning’s conversion giving Munster a fifteen point interval lead.
They extended that lead in the 56th minute when Quinlan scored on the right and replacement Eoghan Hickey added the conversion, Munster gaining good field position thanks to a long touch find by Hickey.
The bonus try came courtesy of McGann 62nd minute try, Hickey again converting and Jerry Flannery a 51st minute replacement for Sheahan, ended a period of Munster pressure with the fifth try of the night and Hickey’s faultless display continued with the conversion that put Munster 36-0 in front.
Munster: C Cullen; S Payne (M Lawlor 62 mins), B Murphy, L Mafi, I Dowling; J Manning (E Hickey 51 mins), T O’Leary (B O’Meara 62 mins); D Hurley, F Sheahan (J Flannery 51 mins), F Pucciariello (T Buckley 62 mins); M O’Driscoll, C Wyatt (M Melbourne 71 mins); A Quinlan, T McGann, J Coughlan (D Ryan 18 mins).
Border Reivers: C McRae; S Moffat, B MacDougall, N De Luca, S Danielli; S Jones, R Chrystle; R Grant, S Scott, E Kalman (B Douglas 34 mins); O Palepoi, J Dalziel; S Newlands, A Miller, S Gray (S Forrest 17 mins),
Referee: James Jones (WRU).