Munster Defeat Ospreys To Set Up All-Ireland Semi At Croker
Munster's Keith Earls scores a try despite the efforts of Ospreys' Mike Phillips (INPHO)
Heineken Cup Quarterfinal
Munster 43 Ospreys 9
The champions of Europe march on towards yet another semi-final by demolishing the Ospreys 43-9 with a record defeat as Munster booked a semi-final place.
The Welsh region had hoped to join rivals Cardiff Blues in the last four for the first time in their history. But Sean Holley's men were comprehensively out-thought, out-muscled and out-played as the Red Army celebrated their 100th Heineken Cup tie in emphatic style.
Paul Warwick's first-half strike set the tone before Paul O'Connell and a brace from Keith Earls piled on the Ospreys' misery after the interval. While the manner of the defeat will cause embarrassment at the Liberty Stadium, the Ospreys faced a mammoth task in attempting to become only the third side to beat Munster in their own back yard in 44 ties.
The visitors' held their own for half an hour they did until the turning point came in the 34th minute. With the scores level at 6-6, James Hook failed with a simple touch finder and Munster went for the kill. The Ospreys, a man light with Filo Tiatia still in the sin-bin for a shoulder charge on Warwick, ran out of defensive cover as full-back Warwick fended off the tackles of Ian Gough and Alun Wyn Jones to touch down.
Hook endured a wayward opening half while rival Ronan O'Gara kept the scoreboard ticking over to hand Munster a deserved 16-6 interval advantage. But the red tide kept coming and after O'Gara's third penalty in the 49th minute, Munster were out of sight six minutes when O'Connell scored the crucial second try.
The hosts piled on the pressure and it was fitting inspirational leader O'Connell beat Ryan to the right corner from Tomas O'Leary pass. Warwick added his second excellent drop goal before the floodgates opened as Earls added a double with Munster's third and fourth tries.
The first came in the 61st minute following a brilliant flick-pass from Lifeimi Mafi while the centre displayed pace and stamina to beat Mike Phillips' despairing tackle three minutes later to spark wild celebrations in Limerick.
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