Bath made an enormous assertion of their opening Investec Champions Cup match with a cushty 40-14 victory over Munster on the Recreation Floor.
The guests, hampered by late modifications to their beginning line-up, battled again into the sport in conventional vogue after trailing 28-0 halfway by means of the primary half.
With Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley absent due to an ankle damage, Munster had known as up JJ Hanrahan, again along with his residence province for a 3rd spell. Edwin Edogbo was a late inclusion at lock for Jean Kleyn and Jeremy Loughman was additionally promoted from the bench when Michael Milne pulled out earlier than kick-off.
Bathtub raced right into a 21-0 lead by the twelfth minute. Bathtub earned an early penalty attempt, which noticed Munster captain Tadhg Beirne despatched to the sin bin, earlier than quantity eight Miles Reid scrambled over for an additional landing after Tom de Glanville was stopped on the road.
A 3rd attempt adopted simply as shortly when Munster misplaced possession within the Bathtub half and Cameron Redpath noticed the prospect to slip a 40-metre kick to the nook, Henry Arundell amassing a easy pick-up to dot down. Russell kicked each conversions.
The teeming rain and slippery circumstances underfoot did little to gradual the tempo of the sport, however Bathtub skipper Ben Spencer was in punishing kind along with his tactical kicking off each ft.
Even with Beirne again on the sector, Munster’s set-piece continued to wrestle and hooker Tom Dunn completed off a line-out catch and drive after 18 minutes with a trademark attempt, Russell including the conversion.
Munster have been in no temper to lie down although and compelled a succession of penalties in Bathtub territory earlier than Edogbo crashed by means of the house defence from quick vary, with Hanrahan changing.
Bathtub continued to infringe and British and Irish Lions prop Will Stuart was proven a yellow card within the twenty eighth minute. Though Beno Obano muscled his manner over for Bathtub’s fifth attempt, Munster got here again with a Craig Casey attempt in first-half damage time. Hanrahan’s conversion left his facet trailing 35-14 on the break.
Each breakdown was a scrap in a scoreless however absorbing third quarter through which Bathtub misplaced Stuart to a worrying leg damage after a scrum collapse.
With Hanrahan’s tactical kicking preserving Bathtub at bay, Munster started to make territorial good points and even had the house defence beneath extended strain across the hour mark earlier than dropping management of the ball at a ruck. With Casey’s sharp service, the visiting backs started to threaten however clear line-breaks have been at a premium.
Bathtub seemed nothing just like the unstoppable pressure that they had been early within the recreation till the 78th minute when Joe Cokanasiga broke away down the fitting and mixed with Spencer, who offloaded to Ted Hill for an unconverted rating.
