Ospreys feed off Munster mistakes

Rugby/Munster 15 Swansea/Neath 18: Christian Cullen's long-awaited Munster debut didn't go according to the script. The All Blacks' most prolific try-scorer sent a hum around a packed Musgrave Park for a Celtic League match whenever he touched the ball, but ultimately the match ended with a groan.

Cullen looked understandably rusty, but showed some skilful touches, and one sublime show of the ball and break on halfway was a glimpse of the rich invention which may be in store.

Munster had enough ball to win the match, and seemed to have the winning of it when they moved 15-6 ahead early in the second half, only to let it slip.

There were some good performances, and you couldn't doubt Munster's effort, but the absence of their missing frontliners was compounded by the pre-match withdrawal of outhalf Jason Holland and the departure shortly after the midway point of Anthony Horgan.

Jim Williams led from the front with a typically industrious effort, and Stephen Keogh and Trevor Horgan also tried hard. But the Munster pack didn't have the physical presence to impose themselves on the Ospreys' pack.

Rob Henderson and Anthony Horgan ran hard, and found a few gaps, and Mossie Lawlor made a decent fist of outhalf, especially when taking the ball up himself. But Munster lacked a kicking game and the ruck ball was often slow, so Munster were obliged to over-commit. Hence, against an aggressive defence, they were often cramped for space; the frequency with which intended receivers over-ran the ball was testimony to this.

In truth, it was a disappointing performance.

The Ospreys didn't create much, but defended and spoiled effectively, and they pounced on Munster mistakes to inflict on the home side their second successive double loss against Welsh opposition.

Conditions could hardly have been more ideal on a still, clear if cold night in Cork and on a firm pitch. About 6,500 tickets had been sold in advance, and needless to say, the first big cheer of the night followed confirmation of Cullen as the first name on the Munster teamsheet.

The second cheer came just under 30 seconds in, when he held a routine box kick by the Ospreys' scrumhalf Andy Williams. His Munster career was up and running, though his second touch, fielding a risky pass infield from Shaun Payne off a quick lineout exchange with Henderson, came with a red cross on it and he was gobbled up.

At least he ensured Munster recycled it, though this was initially problematic for them as the Ospreys flirted with the offside line on Munster's flat alignment.

Lawlor made a couple of nice half-breaks, but his first restart after Gavin Henson had missed an angled penalty didn't cross the 22 metre line and a neatly struck drop goal by Shaun Connor followed to put the Ospreys ahead.

Henderson, assuming the goalkicking duties for the second week running, landed a difficult penalty from near the touchline. But when he was afforded a more routine kick in front of the sticks on the half-hour he clearly didn't fancy it and tapped quickly instead.

But that actually gave Munster their first spell of real momentum of the half, as Anthony Horgan straightened through off the ensuing recycle and the Ospreys' breakaway, Steve Tandy, was sinbinned for not rolling away in the tackle - already something of a persistent crime.

Munster camped in the Ospreys' 22 until the break. Cullen, taking the ball as first receiver, nearly wriggled through, but when he did dot the ball down moments later it was only after the ex-Swansea player of the year, Shaun Payne, had knocked on with the line in front of him when tackled from behind by Elvis Seveali'i.

The latter's off-the-ball tackle on Cullen as he supported David Pusey's surge off a superb line break by Henderson should have resulted in a yellow card for him rather than a verbal rebuke. It's the kind of professional foul to prevent a try-scoring opportunity which the yellow card was designed for.

In any event, Munster eventually broke through with the last play of the half after Horgan, Lawlor and Stephen Keogh made the hard yards for Eoin Reddan to probe the blind side and Payne crashed over.

After a Connor penalty, Horgan again provided the initial impetus with more strong running on the resumption, and Williams' pick-and-drive after Cullen took it up was copied by Frankie Sheahan and Frankie Roche. When Lawlor made another light-footed half-break, Reddan sniped off the recycle to score an opportunist try. Henderson landed the difficult conversion for a 15-3 lead.

However, their lead evaporated thanks to an eminently preventable double whammy from Seveali'i, who should have been off the pitch. First he picked up a loose pass to bounce off John Kelly's tackle and then gather his own deft chip ahead to go over. Then he snatched Lawlor's flat pass inside to score a 60-metre intercept try. Connor converted the second for an 18-15 lead.

Munster huffed and puffed, Frank Murphy was brought in to quicken the ball, but on the only occasions there were clean line breaks, by Henderson and Cullen, there wasn't a support runner in sight.

Henderson did have two 35 metre penalties to the right of the posts to draw the sides level, the second moving into injury time after the Ospreys prop Andrew Millward had been binned for killing the ball, but shaved the left upright each time.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 7 mins: Connor drop goal 0-3; 17: Henderson pen 3-3; 40: Payne try 8-3; (half-time 8-3); 44: Connor pen 8-6; 46: Reddan try, Henderson con 15-6; 51: Seveali'i try 15-11; 54: Seveali'i try, Connor con 15-18.

MUNSTER: C Cullen; S Payne, J Kelly, R Henderson, A Horgan; M Lawlor, E Reddan; F Roche, F Sheahan, G McIlwham, T Hogan, D Pusey, S Keogh, J Williams (capt), E Halvey. Replacements: J Jones-Hughes for Horgan (47 mins), F Murphy for Reddan (75 mins).

NEATH/SWANSEA OSPREYS: G Henson; S Terblanche, D Tieuti, M Brayley, E Seveali'i; S Connor, A Williams; A Millward, B Williams, A Jones, A Newman, L Tait, J Bater, A Lloyd, F Tandy. Replacements: C Griffiths for Jones (29 mins), L Bateman for Tait (65 mins). Sinbinned: S Tandy (31-41 mins), A Millward (80 mins).

Referee: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland).