Munster 23-7 Ospreys: Defending URC champions through to semi-finals after win at Thomond Park

Tadhg Beirne captained Munster to URC quarter-final victory over the Ospreys

Defending URC champions Munster booked their passage through to this season's semi-finals, defeating the Ospreys 23-7 at a chilly and soggy Thomond Park on Friday evening.

The hosts scored tries through full-back Simon Zebo and hooker Niall Scannell in Limerick, with fly-half Jack Crowley kicking both conversions and three further penalties in victory.

The Ospreys scored an early try through wing Keelan Giles and were competitive in a combative opening period, but the Welsh region were thoroughly outplayed in the second 40.

Munster will next host either Glasgow Warriors or the Stormers - who play their quarter-final on Saturday - next weekend in the URC semi-finals.

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Munster made the perfect start to the contest, getting into their flowing phase play inside the opening minute, before the entertainer that is Zebo bumped off Giles to race in and score in just the second minute.

Munster's retiring full-back Simon Zebo scored the opening try of the contest at Thomond Park in the second minute

If Munster thought the quarter-final would be one-way traffic from there, they were given a jolt within three minutes: Ospreys scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams chipping over the home defence on penalty advantage, with centre Owen Watkin and No 8 Morgan Morris combining superbly to set Giles running clear and over the try-line.

Ospreys wing Keelan Giles hit back with a try straight away, but the Welsh region would fail to score again

A Nicky Smith-led scrum penalty soon saw the Ospreys attacking back in the Munster half, but trademark Tadhg Beirne breakdown work saw Munster win the penalty to clear.

When a Munster driving maul next eked out a penalty, and Crowley produced a good kick to touch for a big chance in the Ospreys 22, Munster were ruthless as hooker Scannell broke away from another strong maul drive to get over in the 18th minute for his first try since November 2022.

Hooker Niall Scannell broke away from the back of a driving maul to score Munster's second try

Crowley converted into the breeze for 14-7, with his opposite number Owen Williams kicking a searching kick dead in the Ospreys' next attack. Munster forced a scrum penalty from the resulting set-piece, and were almost in for another try after an immaculate piece of skill from wing Shane Daly - controlling a Crowley cross-field kick on the volley, but just failing to reach it in-goal.

Munster kept the pressure up as Zebo pinned Ospreys into their 22 with a probing grubber-kick which Williams could only take out of play. From the lineout, the Munster maul roared forward again, and when Ospreys failed to roll away at a ruck near the posts soon after, Munster and Crowley took the three points on offer off the tee for a two-score lead.

Jack Crowley kicked superbly for Munster off the tee, as the hosts secured a home URC semi-final spot

Another Ospreys scrum penalty saw them back into the Munster 22 past the half-hour mark, but the hosts defended a clever set-piece move down the blindside to recover the ball by dumping hooker Dewi Lake into touch.

Twice more the Ospreys had entries into the Munster 22 before half-time, and when Munster conceded a penalty for coming in at the side of a maul, the visitors called for a five-metre scrum to attack from in the final minute of the half. Yet, Munster turned the tables to win a massive penalty against the head.

That left the half-time score 17-7 to Munster, with Beirne then forcing an early second half knock-on, before Lake went off feet at the breakdown to give Munster access deep in the Ospreys 22.

Just as the Ospreys failed to break through in the first half, Munster couldn't get over despite attacking virtually on top of the try-line for a sustained spell, as lock RG Snyman knocked on at a ruck.

On 55 minutes, Munster gained entry into the Ospreys 22 once more, but again they failed to make the territory count as replacement prop Oli Jager spilled the ball in increasingly slippery conditions.

Jager put the frustration of that mistake into an immediate positive, when another Munster scrum penalty won against the head allowed Crowley to stretch the home side's lead to 13 points.

Past the hour mark, Crowley struck again off the tee when Ospreys lock Huw Sutton was pinged for failing to roll away within his own half, stretching the Munster lead to a three-score one at 23-7.

With 12 minutes remaining, Crowley mis-hit a penalty from distance short for his first miss, but Munster continued to dominate possession and territory, with the remainder played out exclusively in the Ospreys half before Crowley kicked out to confirm the knockout stage success.

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