Munster Men beat the Barbarians 52-35 in an entertaining pre-season encounter at Thomond Park on Saturday evening.
Diarmuid Barron, Joey Carbery, Brian Gleeson (two), Shay McCarthy, Josh Wycherley, Fineen Wycherley and Neil Cronin were the Munster try-scorers with Carbery kicking six conversions.
Eight Munster Academy players featured with Gleeson scoring twice on his first senior appearance as McCarthy also scored his first try for Munster.
Gleeson started the game after Gavin Coombes was removed from the starting line-up following the warm-up as a precaution.
It was a typical Barbarians game with the visitors playing an unpredictable, offloading game with the 10,427 attendance for the double-header treated to 13 tries.
Jack Daly, on his first start for Munster, was excellent throughout and set up the first try for Barron with a break in midfield as the hooker showed great pace to finish.
Carbery, who was 100% off the tee, danced through for the second try before Nans Ducuing replied for the Barbarians.
Kristian Dacey finished off a rolling maul before Gleeson scored his first try for Munster after a lineout move.
Toby Arnold scored in the left corner on the stroke of half-time to make it 21-all.
Munster scored three tries in five minutes after a remarkable start to the second half. Gleeson dotted down for his second try from close range, McCarthy streaked clear after the restart and Josh Wycherley scored in the right corner after a madcap passage of play.
Lucas Tauzin scored for the Barbarians after another crazy spell, Fineen Wycherley scored for Munster and Kirby Myhill touched down for the BaaBaas as the tries kept coming.
Munster had the last say in the final minute as Ethan Coughlan sprinted clear down the left wing before offloading for Cronin to score and delight the Munster support.
Read the report from the Munster Women’s game against Barbarians here.
Pre-Season Round-Up
Mark Donnelly limped off and will be assessed by the medical department.
Gavin Coombes was removed from the starting line-up before the game as a precaution.
Brian Gleeson scored two tries on his first Munster appearance.
Shay McCarthy scored his first try for Munster.
Jack Daly made his first start for Munster.
Munster Men: Shane Daly; Shay McCarthy (Fionn Gibbons, 50), Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Calvin Nash (Ethan Coughlan, 69); Joey Carbery (Tony Butler, 59), Ethan Coughlan (Neil Cronin, 50); Josh Wycherley (Mark Donnelly, 57-69), Diarmuid Barron (Niall Scannell, 55), Stephen Archer (John Ryan, 50); Edwin Edogbo (Tom Ahern, 31-40 & 55), Fineen Wycherley (Evan O’Connell, 65); Jack O’Donoghue (C), Jack Daly, Brian Gleeson.
