United Rugby Championship: Ospreys 17-27 Munster - Clinical visitors claim bonus point

Sean O'Brien scored two first-half tries both from interceptions

Munster produced a clinical performance in Swansea to maintain their dominance over Ospreys.

The Irish province has only once lost to Ospreys since 2016 and rarely looked like suffering a second after wings Shane Daly and Sean O'Brien both scored in the opening seven minutes.

Man of the match O'Brien added a second interception score before RG Snyman powered over for the bonus.

Keelan Giles, Sam Parry and Alex Cuthbert replied for Ospreys.

Cuthbert scored his first try for more than a year six minutes from time and looked set to grab a second and earn Ospreys two points in the final seconds, but pulled up clutching his hamstring yards from the line.

Only four points separated the sides before kick-off but Munster moved up to fourth in the United Rugby Championship overnight while Ospreys continue to lose ground.

Having won five in a row to get themselves into play-off contention, Ospreys have now suffered back-to-back defeats and only a second loss at home this season.

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Neither side started with their Six Nations stars, though number eight Morgan Morris returned from injury for Ospreys and full-back Mike Haley celebrated his 100th appearance for Munster.

Ospreys' dominated territory and possession in the first half but found themselves trailing 19-5 and with only 14 players at the break.

Prop Nicky Smith started for the first time since announcing in midweek he is leaving to join Leicester next season and helped dominate the scrum until hobbling off before half-time.

But Munster's defence rarely looked troubled, nullifying the Ospreys line-out, while handling errors proved costly for the hosts.

Alex Cuthbert missed a late try after suffering a hamstring injury short of the line

Booth will have been furious at the ease with which Daly scored the early opening try from a simple series of passes from a line-out.

The Ospreys head coach will have been even more exasperated at the next two tries, both from interceptions.

O'Brien picked off overly ambitious passes by Owen Williams and then Keiran Williams with ease, though the second try followed a series of fortunate bounces, deflections and a wild swipe of the boot by the Ospreys fly-half.

Giles finally replied with his sixth try of the season for Ospreys, who then saw Justin Tipuric shown a yellow card as Munster threatened.

Ospreys survived the 10-minute spell without their talisman and got back to within a score when hooker Parry finished an impressive drive by the forwards.

But they could not stop the giant 6ft 7in (2.06m) frame of Snyman from close range to clinch a bonus point for Munster.

Carbery hit the post with the conversion but added a penalty before Cuthbert finished Jack Walsh's half break, but could not finish a second chance in the final moments.

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said: "That was a frustrating game. We knew we had to play a certain way against Munster because their physicality presents a big problem, but we paid a price.

"It's hard to say we deserved to win given the way we started but when you miss out on bonus points in that fashion [Alex Cuthbert's injury] then you know you're luck is not in.

"We'll wait to see how he is but I'm devastated for him because he has only just got back from a long injury."

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree said: "That's a huge win for us. This is a sticky, well-coached team with a good set-piece as they showed for their try.

"We didn't have much possession and had to take our few chances when they came and our defence was very good, lots of two-man tackles.

"There was a period when we conceded six penalties in a row so we had to really dig deep. So there's plenty to work on but it's a big win."

Ospreys: Iestyn Hopkins; Alex Cuthbert, Evardi Boshoff, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Owen Williams, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Nicky Smith, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, James Ratti, Rhys Davies, Jeandre Rudolph, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris.

Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Garyn Phillips, Rhys Henry, Huw Sutton, Harri Deaves, Cameron Jones, Jack Walsh, Owen Watkin

Sin Bin: Tipuric (39)

Munster: Mike Haley; Seán O'Brien, Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, RG Snyman, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen (capt), Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Jeremy Loughman, Stephen Archer, Jack O'Donoghue, Ruadhán Quinn, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Shay McCarthy.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)

Assistant referees: Rhys Jones & Carwyn Williams (WRU)

TMO: Sam Grove-White (SRU)