Munster 17 Ospreys 21
Munster let a winning hand slip from their grasp as Rhys Webb inspired a comeback win for Ospreys at Musgrave Park.
Anthony Foley’s men looked good for a bonus point win when Robin Copeland got their third try to make it 17-10 after 51 minutes.
But it unraveled from there and a campaign which looked to be on an upward turn after way wins over Ulster and Zebre, took another nosedive.
Webb, back for his first action since missing the World Cup with a leg injury, gave Ospreys quicker ball and they upped the tempo to come from behind and win and inflict a third successive home defeat on Munster in the Pro12.
“When we got to 17-10 or even 12-10 at half and playing into what was a very stiff breeze, I thought the boys had played really well and you’re hoping we’d kick on and maybe get another try and you end up with one point instead of maybe five points.
That’s the way the game flowed and there was a period of the game after we went 17-10 and we didn’t get a break,” said Foley.
It looked good for them early on with scrum-half Duncan Williams charging down a clearance from his opposite number Brendon Leonard to race through and score his sixth try for the province.
Ian Keatley converted but it was Ospreys who got control. Darren Sweetnam did well to deny Tom Grabham when he got back to execute an excellent tackle after an intercept by the Ospreys winger.
But the reprieve was short lived and Sam Davies slipped in for a try which he converted himself to tie the game at 7-7 after 25 minutes.
Munster hit back for Francis Saili to score his first try in 15 competitive outings for the province when darted over down the right for an excellent score which left them 12-10 in front at the break.
Sweetnam set Copeland up for their third try after 51 minutes but the wheels came off after that and with Webb increasing the tempo Ospreys were operating at, the Welsh hit back.
Davies reduced the margin with a second penalty and then replacement Owen Watkin got over for what turned out to the key score of the game on the hour when he escaped the clutches of Copeland and Andrew Conway to score in the left corner.
Davies narrowly missed the conversion but he landed a third penalty before the end to seal the win.
Scorers - Munster: Tries, D Wiliams, F Saili, R Copeland. Con: I Keatley.
Ospreys: Tries, S Davies, O Watkin. Con: Davies. Pens: Davies (3).
Munster: A Conway; D Sweetnam, F Saili, R Scannell, R O'Mahony; I Keatley, D Williams; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, J Ryan; D Foley, M Chisholm; B Holland, J O'Donoghue, R Copeland. Replacements: N Scannell for Sherry (54), S Buckley for Chisholm (62), T O'Leary for Williams (71), M Sagario for Ryan (71).
Ospreys: D Evans; T Grabham, JJ Engelbrecht, J Matavesi, B John; S Davies, B Leonard; N Smith, S Parry, D Arhip; R Bernardo, R Thornton; J Bearman, S Underhill, D Baker. Replacements: M Fia for Arhip (10), O Watkin for Matavasi (45), R Webb for Leonard (51), G Thomas for Smith (51), O Cracknell for Bearman (51), S Otten for Parry (65), A Beard for Bernardo (71), T Habberfield for Webb (79).
Referee: L Hodges (WRU).
