Munster opened their new season with a 33 points to 17 win over Magners League new comers Aironi Rugby this evening at Musgrave Park Cork. Two tries from Niall Ronan and one each from Felix Jones and Tony Buckley. It could have been a totally different story for Munster at half time as the scoreboard read 11 points a piece.
The second half could not have started better for Munster however, as Niall Ronan crossed for this first try, followed by Aironi prop Salvatore Perugini being sin binned. With Munster able to bolster their second half side with Marcus Horan, John Hayes and John Fogarty, squad depth proved too much in the end. The Italian side looked out on their feet as Ronan crossed for his second try and Munster’s fourth.
Best for Munster on the night were, Warwick, Holland, O Driscoll and Jones.
(for post match reaction, see this week’s edition of the Limerick Post newspaper)
Munster: F Jones; D Howlett, J Murphy, S Tuitupou, I Dowling; P Warwick, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, T Buckley, M O’Driscoll, B Holland; D Ryan, N Ronan, D Leamy capt. Replacements: D Fogarty, M Horan, J Hayes, A Quinlan, P O’Mahony, D Williams, S Deasy, D Barnes
Aironi Rugby: Julien Laharrague; Giulio Rubini, Roberto Quartaroli, Dylan Des Fountain, Giulio Toniolatti; Ludovic Mercier, Tito Tebaldi; Alberto De Marchi, Fabio Ongaro, Salvatore Perugini; Carlo Del Fava, Quintin Geldenhuys; Jaco Erasmus, Gareth Krause, Nick Williams. Replacements: Andrea De Marchi, Roberto Santamaria, Luigi Milani, Marco Bortolami, Aldo Birchall, Michael Wilson, Alberto Benettin, Gabriel Pizarro.
