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Munster maintained their perfect record against Zebre Parma by winning 34-17 to make it 18 wins from as many meetings between the sides. Shorn of their Ireland stars ahead of the Guinness Six Nations, Munster came out on top thanks to tries from Jack O’Donoghue, Dan Goggin, Fineen Wycherley, Josh Wycherley and Diarmuid Barron.
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Zebre went over through Erich Cronje shortly before half-time and Junior Laloifi added a late consolation. Jake Flannery kicked six points and Jack Crowley booted three for Munster while Tim O’Malley delivered five points for Zebre from the tee and Antonio Rizzi contributed a conversion.
The result – Munster’s sixth win from eight United Rugby Championship fixtures – takes them to four victories on the bounce in all competitions while Zebre remain rooted to the foot of the table after head coach Emiliano Bergamaschi’s first URC match in charge.
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Munster had to wait until the 18th minute to open the scoring, going ahead through a Crowley penalty while he was on as a blood replacement for Flannery. The game’s first try followed three minutes later when O’Donoghue went over in the corner following some patient build-up play.
Goggin then ran a wonderful line to exploit a gap in the Zebre defence and barged his way through a couple of tackles to touch down, with Flannery adding the extras. Flannery was on target again after Fineen Wycherley stretched the advantage further four minutes from time, but Zebre showed they were still alive in the contest when centre Cronje intercepted a pass to dot down under the posts, with O’Malley’s conversion making it 22-10 at the break.
Munster clinched the bonus point in the 66th minute after Josh Wycherley stretched for the line and Flannery split the posts with the conversion before Barron added a fifth when he peeled off the back of a driving maul to dive for the line.
Zebre applied the pressure in the closing stages and Laloifi benefited from a fortunate bounce off his shin to go over under the posts but it was no more than a consolation and the Italians remain without a win in any competition since the end of February 2021.
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