Munster grind out crucial away win over Tigers to take control of Pool 4.

Johann van Graan’s Munster maintain unbeaten Champions Cup run and dealt Leicester’s qualifying hopes a huge with a superb away victory in the back to back rounds.

Beaten 33-10 at Thomond Park last weekend, hugely critical of the refereeing, bemoaning Munster’s legality at the breakdown and promising a backlash, Leicester failed to deliver on that promise.

"You work bloody hard to get a win here" – MOTM Peter O'Mahony spoke to Tim Cocker after his side's brilliant win at Welford Road. #LEIvMUN #ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/gssQ0xhZTm

— eir Sport (@eirSport) December 17, 2017

Instead the Tigers endured a penalty ridden opening period of indiscipline that saw Dan Coles rack up a personal penalty tally of five.

Leicester took an early lead as George Ford slotted a penalty from the right flank after the Munster forwards were penalised for taking out the lineout jumper before he had landed.

Their lead lasted eight minutes as Ian Keatly found touch five metres out from the Leicester line. Having won the lineout, Munster set about driving forward before Leicester were pinged for a breakdown infringement. Keatley dissected the posts to level the scores.

A defensive lapse in the Munster defence allowed Matthew Tait to reach clear for the first try of the game and with Ford converting the extras it was 10-3 to the home side.

Munster fought back with a concerted spell of territory and pressure with Kevin O’Byrne hitting his jumpers on first European start. A Dan Cole infringement for not rolling away was again punished by Keatley who cut the deficit to 10-6.

Matt O’Connor was critical of the refereeing in Thomond Park last week and he will have been equally as frustrated with his side’s efforts at staying on the right side of the law during the return fixture.

🎥 @MunsterRugby’s fans in fine voice as they celebrate with the players following that memorable victory. #ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/hMobBgHKvL

— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 17, 2017

Another maul infringement in the 34th minutes presented Kealtey with a fourth kickable shot which he graciously accepted to make it 12-10 to Munster heading into the interval.

Matthieu Raynal finally lost patience with Dan Cole and sent him to the bin for repeated infringements which allowed Conor Murray a long range shot. The Garryowen man certainly had the distance but was off just off target.

One expected the home side to come out with a renewed sense of purpose after the break but it was Munster who grabbed all the momentum and game energy when Peter O’Mahony sprang highest to claim a Leicester lineout before offloading to Murray who cut a gaping hole in the Tigers defence.

A few phases laster and CJ Stander propelled his body over the line for Munster’s opening try and with Keatley adding the extras, the Irish province had a sizeable and deserved 19-10 lead.

Jonny May managed to scythe through the Munster midfield and kick ahead only for the covering Chris Cloete to get back and mop up the ugly ball. Munster cleared their lines and breathed a sigh of relief.

Cole’s return saw Leicester ratchet up the intensity and eventually force a penalty that George Ford converted to make it 13-19 and bring the home side within a single score.

At six points, Munster still had a bit of breathing room, but replacement prop John Ryan suffered a forwards brain fart when slapping the ball out of Ben Young’s hands. Having initially signalled a knock on, Raynal consulted with the TMO and reached for the yellow card.

The correct decision which Ford punished immediately to reduce the gap to just three points. The momentum and indeed the referee seemed to have swung in favour of the home side.

Keatley who was superb throughout was off target with a drop goal attempt and pulled another penalty attempt left and wide. Despite missing these opportunities, Munster were playing it the right parts of the pitch.

When Zebo was blocked illegally in the 65th minute from chasing his own kick, Munster were afforded a relatively easy kick which Keatley landed to push the lead back out to 22-16.

Further salt was rubbed into the Tigers wounds in the 78th minute when CJ Stander latched onto Matthew Tate who was pinged for not releasing. Keatley was again on the money to push the gap out to 25-16 and take the Tigers out of bonus point territory.

Despite some last ditch efforts from the Tigers to claw back bonus point, Munster held firm and took their first win at the famous ground in 11 years.

FT: Leicester 16-25 Munster. Superb display from @Munsterrugby on the road as they win for the first time in 11 years at Welford Road. That was brilliant! #LEIvMUN pic.twitter.com/0jY1AyeDKP

— eir Sport (@eirSport) December 17, 2017

Leicester: Tait; Thompstone, Tuilagi, Toomua, May; Ford, Youngs; Traynor, Youngs, Cole, Fitzgerald, Kitchener, Mapapalangi, Williams, Kalafamoni

Replacements: Mulipola, Baumann, Barrow, Hamilton, Harrison, Ford, Malouf

Munster: Zebo; Sweetnam, Arnold, Scannell, Wootton; Keatley, Murray; Kilcoyne, O’Byrne, Archer, Kleyn, Holland, O’Mahony, Cloete, Stander

Replacements: Scannell, Scott, Ryan, O’Shea, O’Donoghue, Williams, Hanrahan, Earls