WATCH: JJ Hanrahan's drop of magic saves misfiring Munster's blushes against Benetton

A STUNNING JJ Hanrahan drop goal with the final kick of the game saved Munster's blushes as the visitors edged to a 18-16 victory over lowly Benetton Rugby at Stadio Monigo in the Guinness PRO14 on Saturday night.

Conference B table toppers Munster looked destined to suffer defeat to a Benetton side which had failed to one any of their nine PRO14 fixtures this season when trailing 15-16 in the final seconds of the game.

Leonardo Sarto's try with less than 10 minutes remaining left Benetton within sight of a shock first  victory over Munster since 2013. 

However, replacement Hanrahan, who had an indifferent night with the boot against Leinster a week earlier, showed remarkable composure to land the match winning drop goal from well outside the Italian side's '22.

Munster are now 15 points clear of second-placed Connacht in Conference B of the Pro14 although the Westerners do have a game in hand on their provincial rivals

This was the battle of top versus bottom in Conference B of the PRO14, but you would never think it as runaway leaders Munster struggled against their lowly opponents, despite making the brightest of starts.

Munster, who made 13 changes to the side which lost out to Leinster seven days earlier, can count themselves extremely fortunate to have recorded victory over a Benetton side whose only win this season came in the Challenge Cup.

The visitors were forced to make a late change to their side before kick-off with tighthead prop Roman Salanoa having to pull out of the game in the warm-up with an injury. Stephen Archer started the fixture in place of the ex-Leinster man with John Ryan coming onto the replacements' bench.

The unfortunate Salanoa had been due to make his first PRO14 start in the contest.

Ice. In. His. Veins. ❄️

JJ Hanrahan, take a bow!

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Munster's starting line-up did include two sets of brothers and a pair of cousins all starting the game.

Academy prop Josh Wycherley and his brother Fineen started together in red for the first time with the Scannell brothers, Niall and Rory, and Coombes cousins Gavin and Liam also named in the starting XV.

When Johann Van Graan's Munster side, who had lost just twice in the Pro14 this season, raced into a 12-0 lead in the opening ten minutes at Stadio Monigo, they looked in for a comfortable evening.

Winger Darren Sweetnam capitalised on a poor mistake from Jayden Hayward to slap down the opening try two minutes in. 

That early breakthrough came when a kick to the corner from full-back Mike Haley was allowed to bounce by Benetton full-back Hayward and the ball bounced off his knee into the in-goal area, allowing wing Sweetnam to touch down for a simple try.

And the visitors went in for their second try after nine minutes when Liam Coombes intercepted a long pass and sent Nick McCarthy away and after he was brought down five yards from the line he popped the ball up for Niall Scannell to cross.

Benetton's task grew even more difficult mid-way through the opening half when their prop Marco Riccioni was sin-binned for a no-arms tackle on hooker Niall Scannell.

However, rather than Munster kicking on as the half wore on, given the size of their lead and numerical advantage, it was the home side who grew into the game.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

The best of the action from a simply incredible contest between @BenettonRugby and @MunsterRugby

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Benetton, within a home win in the PRO14 since December 2019, did not sit back and they reduced the arrears after 27 minutes with a spell of pressure on the Munster line being rewarded with a try from Esposito.

As the Italians spun the ball wide, Joaquin Riera drew the tackle from Sweetnam before freeing Esposito out wide to run in at the corner before Allan pulled his conversion attempt wide.

Bennetton were growing in confidence and continued to apply pressure in the Munster 22 and when the Irish province were penalised for not rolling away in the tackle, Allan struck a straightforward penalty as the Italians added eight points with Riccioni off the field.

And when Benetton turned the ball over late in the first half, Allan sent the resulting penalty through the posts to send the Italians into the break just 12-11 down.

Benetton picked up where they left off after the interval and Juan Ignacio Brex and Toa Halafihi both broke the defensive line as the hosts camped in the Munster 22 but the move broke down when a loose pass from Hayward went into touch.

After weathering the storm, Munster made a rare foray into the Benetton 22 and after winning a penalty for another breakdown infringement, Healy took the three points on offer to extend the lead to four points.

Back came Benetton as second-rower Federico Ruzza broke from a ruck and flipped a pass to Callum Braley bearing down on the Munster line but the move was snuffed out as the Irish province got numbers back.

Benetton had a wonderful opportunity to take the lead for the first time 10 minutes from the end when a flipped pass found Tommaso Benvenuti in space on the left but a brilliant covering tackle from Haley prevented him from grounding the ball.

Moments later though, the Italians did go in. Hayward created space cutting across the field and spun the ball out to Sarto, who broke the tackles of Haley and Dan Goggin to touch down.

But with the clock in the red Munster applied pressure in the Benetton 22 and, after gradually edging forward, played the ball back to Hanrahan in the pocket and he slotted the winning drop goal to break Benetton hearts.

SCORERS: Benetton Rugby: Angelo Esposito, Leonardo Sarto try each, Tommaso Allan two pens. Munster: Darren Sweetnam, Niall Scannell try, Ben Healy pen, con, JJ Hanrahan drop goal.

BENETTON RUGBY: Jayden Hayward, Angelo Esposito, Joaquin Riera, Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Benvenuti, Tommaso Allan, Callum Braley, Thomas Gallo, Tomas Baravalle, Marco Riccioni, Irné Herbst, Federico Ruzza, Marco Barbini (CAPT), Manuel Zuliani, Toa Halafihi. Replacements: Corniel Els, Nicola Quaglio, Tiziano Pasquali, Eli Snyman, Giovanni Pettinelli, Alberto Sgarbi, Luca Petrozzi, Leonardo Sarto.

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Liam Coombes, Dan Goggin, Rory Scannell, Darren Sweetnam; Ben Healy, Nick McCarthy; Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Billy Holland (CAPT); Jack O’Donoghue, Chris Cloete, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Thomas Ahern, Tommy O’Donnell, Paddy Patterson, JJ Hanrahan, Damian de Allende.

REFEREE: Andrea Piardi (Italy)