RUGBY/European Cup: Alan Gaffney's smile owed more to relief than satisfaction at the manner of victory. The Munster coach was delighted to watch the Stadio Comunale di Monigo disappear in the rearview mirror with five points secured but frustrated and bemused by his team's performance.

He stressed to the players the importance of treating the game with the same focus and intensity of any other Heineken European Cup duel and then recoiled in horror as Munster's patterns bore all the hallmarks of a Barbarians match. It wasn't the quasi-arctic conditions alone that chilled the coach's blood.

The visitors spent most of the opening half playing the type of Russian roulette in the tackle area that would have seen them perish at the hands of more streetwise opposition. Trying to flip passes, under, over and around the tackler, they coughed up a million turnovers.

Instead of taking play through the phases, being patient and working their opportunities, they couldn't shake the destructive bent that drove them to try to score from first phase, irrespective of field position. Gaffney conceded: "We were very, very poor in the first half, pushed passes and didn't build the phases."

The interval allowed him to dress down players' attitude and demand they set their targets with the hard running midfield axis of Rob Henderson and the excellent Mike Mullins, work the ball through forward runners and when they had committed defenders, exploit the gaps that naturally materialised.

Fortunately the players were receptive. Anthony Foley was a central figure. He invariably chose the right option but more importantly he urged those around him to play sensibly and deserved his man of the match accolade, an honour bestowed just ahead of Mullins.

He ventured: "It was a job done but I don't know about well. We took a long time getting into the game and when we did and got the bonus point then we took our foot off the pedal again. At half-time we realised we weren't being clinical enough at the breakdowns, that we were allowing them to slow down ball and play the game at the pace they wanted. A lot of us have been around long enough not to panic and when we did get our patterns going then there are few teams that can live with us."

For the vocal band of about 3,000 Munster supporters it was a frustrating afternoon. If the visitors had any doubts about Treviso's credentials then the home side provided them with an early reminder.

Foley ventured a Munster player might not have touched the ball before Treviso claimed the game's first try: he was almost correct as the Italians strung one phase after another. Munster's defence for most of the first half was passive/aggressive, back foot from many, front foot from a few.

When Treviso centre Walter Pozzebon finished off the home team's sustained pressure on four minutes and former Irish international Simon Mason kicked the touchline conversion, it should been the mental jolt Munster required. They did respond with a typically hard running try from Mullins five minutes later, converted by Ronan O'Gara but failed to exert any concerted pressure.

This was attributable to a spiralling error rate with Henderson unusually butter-fingered. He was not alone, others made poor choices, the lineout spluttered fitfully, Peter Stringer's didn't always find his target and O'Gara's radar was malfunctioning.

Treviso were playing some pretty decent rugby but naivety, a desire to run from everywhere guaranteed some self-inflicted wounds. Munster staggered to the interval 12-10 in front, James Blaney driven over from a well-worked lineout with Mason posting a penalty for the home side in response.

Munster continued to struggle to exorcise the bad habits that had dogged them in the opening half until a double stroke of good fortune. Treviso centre Manuel Dallan was sin binned for deliberate offside on 52 minutes. He had hardly time to sit down when referee Joel Dume made a crucial decision. He penalised Treviso for offside, calling back play as the Italian side's left wing Brendan Williams was about to score a try. O'Gara kicked to the corner, the excellent Jim Williams driven over by the pack. The fourth try and the bonus point were a mere three minutes away.

O'Gara looked to have squandered an overlap inside the Treviso 22 when he elected to cross kick to the corner but the ball bounced wickedly, deceiving Mason but not the vigilant Foley.

The outhalf converted as he would do again on 65 minutes after Jeremy Staunton grabbed a fifth try. Munster had moved through the gears but decide to free-wheel to the final whistle and during that time conceded a try to Treviso flanker Scott Palmer, converted again by Mason: it was no more than the home side deserved.

The match was not without consequence from a personnel perspective for Munster, losing full back Shaun Payne with a knee injury - he requires a scan tomorrow - on 20 minutes. Frankie Sheahan too cut a rather forlorn figure as he contemplated the knee problem that had kept him out of Saturday's game.

"It's difficult climbing steps and lifting. There's a bit of clicking. It could be the cartilage. I'm going to see a specialist early in the week."

Munster continue to control their own destiny. For all the problems they encountered in Treviso, it is the single most important consideration as they court play-off rugby once again.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4 mins: Pozzebon try, Mason conversion, 7-0; 9: Mullins try, O'Gara conversion, 7-7; 24: Mason penalty, 10-7; 29: Blaney try, 10-12. Half-time: 10-12. 57: Williams try, 10-17; 60: Foley try, O'Gara conversion, 10-24; 63: Smith drop goal, 13-24; 65: Staunton try, O'Gara conversion, 31-13; 79: Palmer try, Mason conversion, 20-31.

BENETTON TREVISO: S Mason; S Legg, W Pozzebon, M Dallan, B Williams; F Smith (capt), S Picone; G Faliva, A Tejeda, S Costanzo, A Gritti, S Dellape; E Pavanello, S Parisse, S Palmer. Replacements: C Checcinhato for Dallape 52-55 mins; C Checcinhato for Dallape 60 mins; J Erasmus for Gritti 60 mins; S Orlando for Parisse 60 mins; F Sbaraglini for Tejeda 60 mins; T Vistentin for Dallan 67 mins; R Martinez for Constanzo 72 mins. Yellow card: M Dallan 52-62 mins.

MUNSTER: S Payne; J Kelly, M Mullins, R Henderson, A Horgan; R O'Gara, P Stringer; G McIlwham, J Blaney, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell; J Williams (capt), A Foley, D Wallace. Replacements: J Staunton for Payne 20 mins; S Keogh for Wallace 60 mins; J Holland for Henderson 67 mins; S Kerr for Hayes 72 mins; E Reddan for Stringer 77 mins; D Pusey for O'Callaghan 77 mins; F Roche for McIlwham 79 mins.

Referee: J Dume (France).