Munster booked their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for the fourth
consecutive season with an emphatic victory over Harlequins at Thomond Park.
The Irish provincial champions shook off their Celtic League final defeat by
Leinster last month and the loss of John Hayes, Rob Henderson, Peter Stringer
and David Wallace through injury to run in six tries against Harlequins.
Muster started well and ran over for a try in the sixth minute.
Man-of-the-match Jim Williams collected at the back of the line-out and surged
towards the posts. Scrum-half Mike Prendergast, deputising for Stringer, moved
the ball out wide to Mike Mullins who dived for the line.
He was held up but Munster recycled and switched to the left where Williams
popped the ball up for Jason Holland to crash over.
Ronan O'Gara missed the conversion and in the 18th minute Paul Burke kicked
Quins into the match with a penalty.
O'Gara responded in kind with a penalty from inside his own half in the 22nd
minute but missed another closer effort two minutes later.
Munster maintained their lead however and went 13-3 up in the 25th minute when
hooker Frankie Sheahan collected from Mick O'Driscoll's line-out take and was
driven over the line by his pack.
O'Gara's conversion hit a post but he made amends with a 33rd-minute penalty
to put Munster clear at 16-3.
Harlequins only began to stir just before half-time when scrum-half Nick
Duncombe touched down in the corner for a try converted by Burke.
But Munster still found time to score again when Foley touched down under the
posts and O'Gara converted with the last kick of the half to send the home team
in 23-10 ahead.
O'Gara picked up where he left off with a 43rd-minute penalty but Tony Diprose
kept Quins in touch with a try converted by Burke which pulled the London club
back to 26-17.
Then O'Gara hit two penalties and Quins reshuffled, replacing Burke, captain
Garrick Morgan and centre Nick Burrows with Mark Mapletoft, Alex Codling and Rob
Jewell.
The move could not halt the Munster momentum and in the 62nd minute full-back
Dominic Crotty scored a try in the corner. O'Gara missed the conversion.
Munster began to make changes and Peter Clohessy went off to a standing
ovation on his 100th appearance to be replaced by Martin Cahill in the front
row.
Quins threw Alex Alesbrook into the back row for Steve White-Cooper but he
could not prevent Munster turning their advantage into a rout.
The home side sealed their victory with converted tries from captain Mick
Galwey and Alan Quinlan.
Munster now travel to Castres next week where victory will secure a home
quarter-final berth.
Teams:
Munster: Crotty, Kelly, Mullins, Holland, Horgan,
O'Gara,
Prendergast, Horan, Sheahan, P. Clohessy, Galwey,
M. O'Driscoll, Williams, Quinlan, Foley.
Not Used: Cahill, Blaney, O'Callaghan, McMahon, Staunton,
Hegarty, J. O'Neill.
Tries: Crotty, Holland, Sheahan, Galwey, Quinlan,
Foley.
Cons: O'Gara 3.
Pens: O'Gara 5.
Harlequins: D. Slemen, Moore, Greenwood, Burrows, Luger, Burke,
Duncombe, Starr, Roddam, Dawson, Morgan, Davison, White-Cooper,
Tamarua, Diprose.
Not Used: Douglas, Olver, Codling, Alesbrook, M. Powell,
Mapletoft, Jewell.
Tries: Duncombe, Diprose.
Cons: Burke 2.
Pens: Burke.
Att: 13,000
Ref: Stefano Mancini (Italy).
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