Champions Cup: Wasps 14-35 Munster

Munster hooker Scott Buckley scored his side's fourth try on his senior debut

A youthful Munster claimed a bonus-point win over 14-man Wasps in their opening Heineken Champions Cup game.

The hosts' captain Brad Shields was sent off for a high tackle on Dave Kilcoyne, but they crossed first through Alfie Barbeary.

The bounce of the ball favoured Keith Earls for Munster's first try.

Patrick Campbell, Andrew Conway and Scott Buckley crossed after the break to seal their victory, despite a Michael Le Bourgeois consolation.

Munster had not played a game since their 18-10 defeat at Ospreys on 23 October after a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.

Five of their starting XV in Coventry made their senior debuts after 14 players and staff tested positive during the team's abandoned trip to South Africa to play two United Rugby Championship matches.

And, with Wasps down to 13 men after Shields' red card in the 26th minute and then Dan Frost's sin-binning 14 minutes later, it was the visiting youngsters who came to the fore.

Full-back Campbell turned on the speed to race clear and score his side's second try before hooker Buckley was the beneficiary of a line-out move off the training ground to open his senior account.

Wasps, who had lost their last three Premiership games, also had their issues with available personnel as long-term absentees Jack Willis, Joe Launchbury, Vaea Fifita, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu and Dan Robson were already ruled out.

The Premiership side then had to make four late changes to their provisional match squad on Friday - fly-half Jacob Umaga, number eight Tom Willis and both second rows Elliott Stooke and Sebastian de Chaves - following positive Covid-19 tests.

Their task was made even harder when Shields was dismissed for a high tackle on Kilcoyne which, on another day, could have been marked down to a yellow card.

Highly-rated youngster Barbeary, on his first start since March, finished off the move he started with a powerful line break to score the first try.

But Munster - who were also able to call on a core of Ireland internationals who did not travel to South Africa following the autumn internationals such as captain Peter O'Mahony, Tadhg Beirne and Conor Murray - were too strong with the advantage.

Murray's chip over the top bounced into the grateful hands of the experienced Earls to start the fightback, while a loose pass in the Wasps midfield saw Conway pick up and scamper clear for his side's third try.

Munster host Castres in their next game on Saturday, 18 December, while Wasps travel to holders Toulouse the following day.

'We will be forced to look to our academy' - what they said

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett told BBC Sport:

"I'm pretty gutted. Obviously, our preparation didn't help and losing Brad early on. We were always up against it from there.

"We lacked continuity and Munster won the game at the breakdown. They killed us and we couldn't build any pressure. We knew the threats they had over the ball but we just weren't good enough on the day.

"There were 25 [players] to pick from so that is all we have left at the moment. I think we will be forced to look to our academy because I don't think we will have enough numbers [to face Toulouse] but we will see.

"We had a lot of guys in there getting experience and that will be good for the future but it's also about the now and winning."

Wasps: Watson; Kibirige, Bassett, Le Bourgeois, Mehson; Gopperth, Wolstenholme; West, Frost, Alo, Shields, Cardall, Carr, Young, Shields (capt), Barbeary

Replacements: Van Vuuren, Hislop, Toomaga-Allen, Curran, Oghre, Porter, Mathews, Anderson

Munster: Campbell; Conway, Farrell, De Allende, Earls; Carbery, Murray; Kilcoyne, Buckley, French; O'Connor, Beirne; O'Mahony (capt), Hodnett, Okeke.

Replacements: Moore, Donnelly, Salanoa, Forde, Moloney, Coughlan, Butler, Wren.

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