Munster put up a game fight against the touring Australians at Ennis RFC yesterday before going under in a highly-entertaining schools match.

While they were unaccustomed to a heavy pitch, the Australians - who meet Ireland next Tuesday - showed that are clearly a side of great potential. Until they were pegged back in the closing stages by a combination of Munster commitment and their own fatigue, they looked a very talented outfit indeed.

Early pressure resulted in a fifth-minute try by full back Michael Tabrett which out-half Tim Donnelly converted. They went further ahead with a penalty by Donnelly and to all intents and purposes put the outcome beyond Munster's reach with a try by Junior Pelesasa with Donnelly landing the conversion.

Munster, however, got very much into the game after that and enjoyed spells of supremacy before and following the interval before the Australians broke away for their third try, scored by prop Jonathan Ahlberg and converted by Donnelly.

To their credit, Munster plugged away and in the dying moments number eight James Coughlan went over for a try at the posts with out-half Conrad O'Sullivan adding the points.

AUSTRALIA: M Tabrett; N Osborne, J Pelesasa, F Kefu, P Playford; T Donnelly, J Gamgee; J Ahlberg, J Mann, A Mathison, D Heenan, G Smith, A Elphinston, G Jones, D Lyons. Replacement: C Comerford for Mann.

MUNSTER: T Daly (CBC); N McNaughton (Rockwell), D Conway (Crescent), E Daly (CBC), K O'Leary (CBC); C O'Sullivan (PBC), P McCarthy (CBC); E Quish (PBC), C Tucker (St Munchin's), R FLanagan (St Enda's), P Malone (St Munchin's), J Cahill (PBC), D Leamy (Rockwell), J O'Connor (Crescent), J Coughlan (CBC). Replacements: D Slade (Crescent) for Conway, C Hartigan (St Munchin's) for O'Connor, P McMahon (Crescent) for Tucker, L Hogan (St Munchin's) for Flanagan, E Reddan (Crescent) for McCarthy.

Referee: M Whyte (Leinster).