Gavin Coombes bags hat-trick as Munster Rugby rack up nine tries in rout of Ospreys

MUNSTER Rugby ran in nine tries, with Gavin Coombes helping himself to a hat-trick, as the home side eased past an understrength Ospreys outfit 58-3 in front of an official attendance of 14,082 at Thomond Park on Friday night.

The result saw an improving Munster jump up to fifth place in the United Rugby Championship table, now just one point behind fourth-placed Glasgow Warriors.

Munster had the bonus point in the bag by half-time, leading 27-3 at the interval with the first of Coombes three tries adding to five-pointers from Malakai Fekitoa, Antoine Frisch Joey Carbery.

Munster adding five further tries after the restart against their understrength opponents with Paddy Patterson, Simon Zebo, Shane Daly adding to a brace from Coombes.

The Ospreys most recent win in Limerick remains their September 2014 success.

Munster have not been defeated at home to a non-Irish province in the URC since Edinburgh won 18-16 at Cork in November 2019.

MUNSTER RUGBY: Shane Daly, Liam Coombes, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Simon Zebo, Joey Carbery, Paddy Patterson, Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Roman Salanoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O'Donoghue (Capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Jack O'Sullivan, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Ben Healy, Rory Scannell.

OSPREYS: Max Nagy, Luke Morgan, Michael Collins, Owen Watkin, Keelan Giles, Stephen Myler, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Nicky Smith (Capt), Elvis Taione, Tom Botha, Bradley Davies, Huw Sutton, Jack Regan, Ethan Roots, Morgan Morris. Replacements: Tom Cowan-Dickie, Garyn Phillips, Rhys Henry, James Fender, Harri Deaves, Matthew Aubrey, Jack Walsh, Iestyn Hopkins.

REFEREE: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)