United Rugby Championship: Benetton 30-40 Munster - visitors climb to sixth

Munster’s John Hodnett celebrates with Jack O’Sullivan after scoring a try

Munster ran in six tries as they secured a 40-30 win over Benetton in Treviso to climb to sixth in the United Rugby Championship table.

Early tries from Marco Zanon and Ignacio Mendy helped Benetton lead 15-14 at the break.

But after Paddy Patterson and Jack O'Sullivan's first-half scores, Munster crossed four times after the interval to claim the bonus-point win.

Mendy's third try earned the hosts a bonus point in the last minute.

Munster will go into the international break satisfied with a win at a venue where the hosts had lost only one of their last nine home games in the URC.

The Irish province struggled to cope with Benetton's early enterprise as two quick-fire tries in the opening quarter from Zanon and Argentina international Mendy came about after well-worked backs moves.

But Munster battled their way back into the game with a try created by an excellent chip and chase from Calvin Nash and finished by scrum-half Patterson.

Munster continued their fightback with a try from flanker O'Sullivan but Jacob Umaga nudged his side ahead with a penalty just before the break.

Munster started the second half brightly, with flanker John Hodnett skipping through a tackle and crashing over the line to put his team into the ascendancy.

A period of Munster possession was rewarded with a try from Jean Kleyn. However, minutes later the ebb and flow of the game continued as Mendy responded with his second try of the game to keep the hosts within touching distance.

The visitors pulled away in the final quarter as they probed space in the Benetton defence. Antoine Frisch was the recipient of a delicate kick pass from Ben Healy which he finished in the corner and minutes later Carbery seemingly put the game to bed with a further try.

The drama was not over in this entertaining game, however, as Mendy completed his hat-trick.

While that score gave the hosts a four-try bonus point, Munster took all five points to leapfrog Benetton in the table.

Benetton: R Smith; I Mendy, M Zanon, F Drago, M Bellini; J Umaga, D Duvenage; N Tetaz, S Maile, T Pasquali; M Lazzaroni, R Favretto; G Pettinelli, A Izekor, H Time-Stowers. 

Replacements: B Bernasconi, T Gallo, F Alongi, N Piantella, C Wegner, B Steyn, M Albanese, M Watson.

Munster: S Daly; C Nash, A Frisch, M Fekitoa, L Coombes; J Carbery, P Patterson; J Wycherley, N Scannell (capt), R Salanoa; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O'Sullivan, J Hodnett, A Kendellen. 

Replacements: D Barron, M Donnelly, S Archer, C Hurley, R Quinn, N Cronin, B Healy, R Scannell.

Referee: B Blain (Scotland)