Liam Coombes scored a late bonus-point try in Munster’s win over the Lions at Musgrave Park in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Friday night.
Just days after confirming his move to Edinburgh, Ben Healy converted Scott Buckley’s maul try and captain Jack O’Donoghue also scored to give Munster a 12-3 half-time lead in Cork.
Jordan Hendrikse’s early penalty was the Lions’ only score in a 33-3 defeat, as all five points went to the hosts thanks to second-half tries from Paddy Patterson, Coombes and Buckley.
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The Lions had some bright moments, particularly from their powerful scrum, while Emmanuel Tshituka was typically abrasive and Morne van den Berg busy around the fringes.
Jean Kleyn and Alex Kendellen tidied up a lot of scrappy ball for Munster, but John Hodnett stood out the most for his ability to break the defensive line and his graft around the pitch.
It was a tough night for handling given the rain and wind, but Munster showed the greater accuracy when in sight of the line.
Winger Coombes delighted the Cork crowd with an excellent individual try, retrieving a dinked Gianni Lombard kick and carving through from outside the visitors’ 22, beating four defenders including a last-ditch tackle from Lions skipper Marius Louw.
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