European Cup Pool Four/Ospreys - 18 Munster - 20: An away win in the Heineken European Cup with a French referee, and against an Ospreys side fighting for their lives? No bad achievement. It didn't flow like honey, but in its sleeves-rolled-up grittiness, this was in some ways vintage Munster; digging deep and keeping their heads to eke out yet another one-score win on the road.

As ever they had to do it the hard way, coming from 12-6 down nearing half-time in a penalty-ridden affair. Given so much went well, it's hard to relate what a struggle this was for them.

The scrums were a particularly satisfying source of strength and quite a feather in the cap for the outstanding duo of Marcus Horan and John Hayes against Lyn Jones' much-vaunted mongrels, and along with the lineouts, also provided a good platform.

Yet Munster never really imposed much of a pattern and still need to apply more of a cutting edge out wide.

Their struggles began at the breakdown, where they were regularly penalised by Joel Jutge for either not releasing or for hands after rucks had formed.

The first half was simply all about Monsieur Jutge whose mere presence, never mind constant whistle blowing, with much of it inconsistent, became thoroughly infuriating. In a reprise of his performance at Ravenhill last Friday week the penalty count was 11-6 to the home side not far past the half-hour mark.

Munster, and the game, had little chance of finding any rhythm, not least as the Ospreys simply lived offside, especially in midfield, with Jutge and his French touch judges not the least bit interested in enforcing the "hindmost foot" offside rule.

The tone was set as early as the second minute when Donncha O'Callaghan, the rustiest player on the pitch, was penalised for a high tackle on Jason Spice, despite the Ospreys scrumhalf clearly dipping his shoulder and head.

Gavin Henson opened the scoring, but O'Gara responded in kind after Munster went through the phases and though he missed a relatively straight 40-metre effort, he soon put Munster ahead when they opted for a three-pointer after an attacking lineout maul was brought down.

With the Ospreys pushing up hard, O'Gara was twice done for not releasing, when on both occasions either Steve Tandy or Brent Cockbain, in tandem with Tandy again and Barry Williams, were lying all over him while making no attempt to roll away or stay on their feet.

A daring counter-attack by Christian Cullen, in tandem with Anthony Horgan, reaped a dividend of sorts when Richard Mustoe took out Marcus Horan off the ball and, though Horan flicked his foot at the Ospreys winger in frustration, it hardly merited Mustoe then flicking his studs into the face of a prostrate Horan. It should have been a red, though it was a wonder Jutge even flourished a yellow card - albeit perhaps merely for the obstruction.

However, a plethora of penalties cancelled out the advantage, whereupon Jutge binned Jim Williams, as much for bad timing as anything else, for playing the ball after a ruck had formed. In fairness, Williams and Munster had been warned.

Henson made it 12-6, but Munster went through six phases - Rob Henderson twice figuring prominently - for O'Gara to reduce the arrears with the last kick of the first half; a timely, confidence-building score.

Sure enough, a trademark Horan burst and a raking O'Gara touchfinder signalled Munster's post-interval intensity and intent. Michael Jordan wouldn't have held Spice's pass from the resultant lineout, never mind the leaping Henson.

From the second put-in, the Munster backs' position drew the Ospreys infield and left an unprotected blindside corridor which Stringer had the wit to scamper into despite an unfavourable twist on the tight side.

Although Stringer narrowed the angle, in a rare blemish, O'Gara missed the conversion. This looked potentially costly when Henson restored the lead when Shaun Payne was penalised for not releasing but O'Gara pinned the home side back some more and when the Ospreys scrum was decimated, the outhalf put Munster ahead again.

Munster struggled to press home another numerical advantage when Elvis Seveali'i left Jutge with little choice but to brandish another yellow card for following up with a high forearm tackle on John Kelly.

Henson was wide with a long-range drop goal and a 40-metre penalty before the inspired Horan made a stupendous steal on the deck and Williams followed up with a magnificent tackle on Shane Williams, who was done for not releasing - Jutge's favourite.

O'Gara gave Munster a five-point breathing space, but not for long, Jutge ironically penalising Munster for not being behind the hindmost foot for Henson to land what for him is a tap-over penalty.

Seveali'i returned from the sin bin and Munster were all hands on deck. David Wallace, who carried strongly and relished his belated chance, corralled Shane Williams into touch to lift the siege and when O'Gara bisected Mustoe and Afrian Durston with a one-bounce touch-finder of deadly accuracy you knew they'd weathered the worst of it.

O'Gara saw a late drop-goal drift wide but it hardly mattered. The Ospreys were in a vice-like grip as Stringer found the final touch. Cue the pitch invasion. "I've news for ye," shouted one Munster supporter to another over the post-match din. "It's porter time." That it was.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: Henson pen, 3-0; 5 mins: O'Gara pen, 3-3; 14 mins: O'Gara pen, 3-6; 17 mins: Henson pen, 6-6; 20 mins: Henson, pen 9-6; 33 mins: Henson, pen 12-6; 40 (+3 mins): O'Gara pen, 12-9; (half-time: 12-9); 44 mins: Stringer try, 12-14; 47 mins: Henson pen, 15-14; 57 mins: O'Gara pen, 15-17; 66 mins: O'Gara pen, 15-20; 69 mins: Henson pen, 18-20.

NEATH-SWANSEA OSPREYS: A Durston; R Mustoe, S Parker, E Seveali'i, S Williams; G Henson, J Spice; D Jones, B Williams (capt), A Jones, A Newman, B Cockbain, J Bater, R Jones, S Tandy. Replacements: P James for D Jones, R Pugh for Tandy (both 64 mins). Sin-binned: Mustoe (22-32 mins), Seveali'I ((59-69 mins).

MUNSTER: C Cullen; J Kelly, S Payne, R Henderson, A Horgan; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, J Williams, A Foley (capt), D Wallace. Replacements: G McIlwham for Horan (22-27 mins), A Quinlan for Williams (79 mins). Sinbinned: Williams (33-43 mins),

Referee: Joel Jutge (France).