Munster Rugby ease past Harlequins in try-fest friendly at the Stoop

MUNSTER Rugby eased to a 43-35 victory over Premiership Harlequins in their 12-try friendly fixture played at the Stoop on Friday night

Munster edged the try-count 7-5 in the fixture which was Limerick man Jerry Flannery's final game as a Harlequins coach prior to his move to the South African coaching team.

Mike Haley, Alex Kendellen, Shay McCarthy, Tony Butler, Jack Daly, Neil Cronin and Shannon’s Stephen Kiely were the try-scorers on a hugely entertaining night in London

Munster raced into a 14-0 lead after 17 minutes thank to two really well-worked tries from Mike Haley and Alex Kendellen.

Out-half Carbery also added the two conversions.

The hosts hit back on 25 minutes with Jack Walker dotting down and Will Edwards converting.

From the restart, Academy winger and Limerick native Shay McCarthy charged down a clearance and showed good composure to score in the left corner.

Quins hit back with a converted try before the break to trail 14-19 at the break.

Harlequins went in front within a minute of the restart but tries from Tony Butler and Jack Daly put Munster back in the driving seat at 31-21 as Butler converted Daly’s try.

Garryowen scrum-half Neil Cronin scored under the posts after a brilliant break and pass from Fineen Wycherley with Butler’s conversion make it 38-21.

Limerick winger Stephen Kiely, a past pupil of Castletroy College, scored the seventh Munster try after 65 minutes following a stunning Munster move that featured nearly every player on the team getting a touch.

That score put Munster 43-21 ahead and that proved enough to take the win despite two later Harlequins tries.

Academy hooker Max Clein and Academy out-half Dylan Hicks made their first senior appearances for Munster in Friday night's game.

Eight Academy players and two club players featured in the contest.

HARLEQUINS: Cameron Anderson; Nick David, Lennox Anyanwu, Bryn Bradley, Cassius Cleaves; Will Edwards, Max Green; Santiago Garcia Botta, Jack Walker, Will Collier; Joe Launchbury, Stephan Lewies (C); Will Trenholm, Will Evans, James Chisholm. Replacements (all used): Nathan Jibulu, Simon Kerrod, Lovejoy Chawatama, Irne Herbst, George Hammond, Matas Jurevicius, Tom Lawday, Lewis Gjaltema, Connor Slevin, Roma Zheng.

MUNSTER RUGBY: Mike Haley; Fionn Gibbons, Seán O’Brien, Rory Scannell, Shay McCarthy; Joey Carbery, Ethan Coughlan; Josh Wycherley, Scott Buckley, John Ryan; Fineen Wycherley, Cian Hurley; Jack Daly, Alex Kendellen (C), Jack O’Sullivan.

Replacements: Max Clein, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Kamil Nowak, Daniel Okeke, Neil Cronin, Tony Butler, Dylan Hicks, Colm Hogan, Stephen Kiely.