Player Ratings | Flannery impresses on full debut at ten as Munster pick up BP win in Zebre

Munster ran out as comfortable winners as they put up five tries and earned the bonus point win.

Munster continued their winning run with a 34-17 win over Zebre on Saturday evening to keep pace with the teams at the top in the URC.

Three first half tries from Jack O’Donoghue, Dan Goggin, Fineen Wycherley with a penalty from Jack Crowley and two conversions from Jake Flannery helped to see Munster to a comfortable 7-22 score line at the break.

Zebre fought back valiantly as they pushed Munster to their limit defensively. Time and time again Munster repelled Zebre’s attack and kept adding points. Josh Wycherley got Munster’s fourth try while Diarmuid Barron added a fifth.

To finish the game off Zebre managed to grab a consolation try after Junior Laloifi ran over the line score in the red but it was too little too late as Munster left Italy with all five points.

Check out the player ratings from another successful trip to Italy below.

Player Ratings

Jeremy Loughman – 6.5

A good but not very memorable performance. Defence was his role of the day through scrummaging and the six tackles he made throughout his 51 minutes on the pitch.

Diarmuid Barron – 7.5

Since coming in for Niall Scannell, Barron has gone from strength to strength in his Munster career and this performance was no exception. In his time on the pitch, Barron was highly involved, recording eleven tackles for the side and scoring a try with one of his five carries.

Keynan Knox – 6.5

Like his fellow front rower Loughman, Knox found it hard to really implant himself into the game. Mainly needed for ball retention with small carries and as an anchor for the team in the scrum.

Jean Kleyn – 7

The South African marked his 100^th performance for Munster with a solid performance in the lock position. A well-rounded display that consisted of quick hands, strong tackling and good rucking helped carry Munster to the win

Fineen Wycherley -7

A strong bounce back from his last performance. Wycherley put in a huge twelve tackles and also gabbed a well taken try to add to Munster’s lead. Consistent performances like this will only help rise his stock at the club.

Jack O’Donoghue -7.5

Reliable since he first performed in a Munster jersey. O’Donoghue provided strong running, tackling and an excellent work rate from the flanker position. His line break and try pushed Munster on throughout the game.

John Hodnett – 7

A chance to start was well taken by Hodnett. His carrying was the highlight of his game especially a bursting run down the left wing. Coupled with his carrying as he made twelve tackles, Hodnett’s presence was very much felt on the pitch.

Jack O’Sullivan – 8

A whopping fifty-two meters from only nine carries really shows the power of O’Sullivan’s presence on the field. A typical number eight’s performance saw him tackling hard, rucking well and pushing the pace from the first minute.

Neil Cronin – 7

Cronin kept the ball moving from phase to phase, Munster’s attacked looked fluid through all of his fifty-two placed passes throughout the game. In his 72 minutes of play he was an excellent conductor for the Red Province.

Jake Flannery – 7.5

A first start for Flannery was off to a good start until a hard hit to the head sent him off for a HIA. Once back on Flannery looked to get going, his passing was crisp and helped the backs get into their rhythm. With only two carries he recorded two-line breaks for a combined eighteen meters. Flannery also knocked over three conversions for the team rounding off a good performance. A Man of the Match award capped off the special day.

Shane Daly – 7

A good performance from the wing but not too exciting. With ball in hand, he looked to get forward and bring players around him. Daly made his tackles when it mattered. All together a strong performance.

Dan Goggin – 7.5

In forty-eight minutes, Goggin had a great performance. Out of his five carries he made thirty-six meters and scoring a try in the process. A substitution for Chris Farrell ended his time on the pitch but Goggin’s presence was felt.

TRY!! From the lineout Munster got the ball to Dan Goggin who barrels through the defence. Jake Flannery kicks the conversion.#ZEBvMUN 0-15

— Sporting LK (@SportingLK) January 29, 2022

Liam Coombes – 8

Coombes put in a great performance from the outside centre position. He consistently carried the ball culminating in thirty-seven meters made with seven tackles throughout the game. Himself and Goggin were a strong dual threat which didn’t change with the introduction of Chris Farrell.

Calvin Nash – 6.5

Not much to report as Nash never was able to really effect the game from the wing. His five tackles proved his usefulness on the defensive side. Nash also made some solid carries to round off the performance.

Matt Gallagher – 7

Its tough to step into the fullback position with a player like Mike Haley to live up to but Gallagher proved himself as a valuable option to the team. He was reliable at the back only having to be called upon rarely, but he stayed alert throughout the game.

Replacements

Scott Buckley – 6

In his seven minutes on the pitch Buckley provided two tackles and he carried the ball. He showed a good willingness to affect the game but had little time to do so.

Josh Wycherley – 6.5

Wycherley came in after fifty minutes for Loughman, and like Buckley he was eager to get involved in the game. He garnered three tackles and three carries. Wycherley was frequently around the breakdown trying to make his presence felt.

Roman Salanoa – 6

Replacing Keynan Knox Salanoa had an uneventful twenty minutes, but he made himself useful defensively recording three tackles.

Thomas Ahern – N/A

Alex Kendellen – 6

Coming on late for Hodnett, Kendellen tried to bring his dynamism to the game. However, only getting to carry the ball twice didn’t allow him to have his desired effect.

Ethan Coughlan – 6

Coming in with seven minutes to go there wasn’t much hope for Coughlan to put his mark on the game. A final period dominated by Zebre possession didn’t help either.

Jack Crowley – 7

Having to come on for Flannery twice Crowley did well both times. In his first stint he stood up to kick a penalty to give Munster the lead. He came back with not much time left and the game had been pretty much decided. He carried the ball five times and got three tackles.

Chris Farrell – 7.5

Farrell usually finds himself starting the centre position but the Ireland international started the game on the bench. In the second half he came on and was a workhorse. He carried the ball seven times and looked like breaking the gainline with each of them. A starting spot is sure to be back to him soon enough.