Munster 29-3 Zebre

JJ Hanrahan capped off a dream first start in Munster colours with two tries as they beat bottom side Zebre 29-3.

All the scoring was left to the kickers in a scrappy, stop-start first half at Thomond Park and even they weren't having a good day as Gonzalo Garcia, Daniel Halangahu and Ian Keatley all missed from the tee. Both sides found it difficult to build any kind of momentum at all as the game was punctuated by infringements and the sound of the referee's whistle but Keatley and Halangahu did finally register with a penalty apiece to make it 3-3 at the break. And, probably after a suitably frank discussion at half-time, the home side began to play with far more purpose and attacking intent in the opening stages of the second half and it wasn't long before they got their reward. Indeed, tries were like buses for Munster and two arrived in fairly quick succession as 20-year-old centre Hanrahan, on his first start for the club, and full-back Felix Jones both crossed the whitewash to the relief of the home faithful. And, despite more of Zebre's best efforts in defence in a feisty second half, the hosts managed to put the drab and disappointing first half well and truly behind them by snatching a bonus point late on. Hanrahan rounded off a night to remember for him personally by completing his brace of tries, and taking the man of the match award away with him as well, and Luke O'Dea sealed the bonus point with a fourth try with just a few minutes to spare.