Celtic League/ Ospreys 16 Munster 3: Munster suffered a torrid afternoon in Swansea yesterday as they were crushed by Welsh opposition for the second time in a week.
Following the home loss to Cardiff Blues last weekend, Munster again came up short against the Ospreys, the resurgent defending Magners Celtic League champions.
First-half tries by the Ospreys backs Lee Byrne and Shane Williams granted the Welsh the points on a disappointing afternoon for Declan Kidney's men.
The match of the weekend saw both teams blood returning - yet fragile - World Cup stars after Ireland and Wales failed to qualify from the pool stages.
Kidney welcomed back his Ireland squad members Brian Carney and Alan Quinlan to the fold, while the star-studded Ospreys named Wales internationals Shane Williams, Sonny Parker and Jonathan Thomas in a strong line-up, as well as their newest kid on the block, outhalf Gareth Owen.
Munster had recorded their first win on Welsh soil in nearly two years with their late show at Newport Gwent Dragons just two weeks ago, but here they fell behind within three minutes.
Eighteen-year-old Owen looked at ease with his surroundings and he wasted little time in getting on the scoresheet with a close-range penalty after wing Carney failed to release the ball.
Outhalf Paul Warwick had an off day with the boot as he missed three penalties in the opening half.
Munster competed well at the breakdown but threw away a golden opportunity on 19 minutes when hooker Denis Fogarty knocked on with the tryline at his mercy.
Flanker Quinlan's exquisite chip found Carney, who was held up short of the line, and in the next phase Fogarty could not grab the ball.
Three minutes later the Ospreys scrumhalf Mike Phillips surged through the Munster defence and over the tryline, but the referee consulted the television match official, Hugh Watkins, who disallowed the try.
But the home side weren't to be denied, and it was Owen who made the crucial break on 35 minutes before his pass met full-back Lee Byrne, who beat the last-ditch challenge from Carney to score the first try of the afternoon.
Just four minutes later, the Ospreys kept the TMO busy with the fourth decision of the half as Shane Williams displayed his dancing feet to ease past Ian Dowling and score in the right corner to extend the half-time lead to 13 points.
Owen and replacement kicker Jeremy Manning swapped penalties as the Ospreys sealed their victory.
OSPREYS: L Byrne; N Walker (blood-bin J Hook 62), S Parker, G Henson (A Bishop 13), S Williams; G Owen (N Walker 70), M Phillips (M Roberts 80); D Jones, H Bennett (B Williams 74), C Griffiths (A Jones 53); I Gough, I Evans (L Bateman 80); J Thomas, F Tiatia (capt), B Lewis (S Tandy 80).
MUNSTER: S Payne (P Stringer 50); B Carney, K Lewis, R Tipoki, I Dowling (L Mafi 65); P Warwick (J Manning 48), T O'Leary; F Pucciariello (D Hurley 74), D Fogarty (F Sheahan 50), T Buckley; M Melbourne (B Holland 74), M O'Driscoll; A Quinlan, A Foley (capt) (J Coughlan 74), N Ronan.
Referee: Simon McDowell(IRFU).
