Here is John O’Sullivan’s match report:
[ Munster beaten by clinical Bath in Champions Cup openerOpens in new window ]
Johann van Graan has captured a win over his former team Munster, and his Bath side have laid down a marker for this Champions Cup tournament.
And here’s the final try for Bath tonight, a pretty good one too.
That was a grinding half of rugby, after a blistering opening 40 minutes. Bath’s last-minute try was the only score of the half, as the English champions nullified the Munster attack, which looked a little blunt at times. Bath’s scrum half Ben Spencer was a well-deserved player of the match.
Full-time: Bath 40 Munster 14
80 Mins: The game is up but Munster carry on trying, but a knock-on ends things.
78 Mins: Try for Bath! A wonderful score for the English champions to finish an excellent performance. A cheeky Russell lob, a tap-and-go from Spencer, and then a lovely hand off for Ted Hill to score.
Bath 40 Munster 14
77 Mins: Munster need to force it to have a hope of getting a bonus point. Bath’s defence just keeps pushing them back. Eventually, Munster get a lineout on the 22.
Bath 35 Munster 14
75 Mins: Not much fun stuff this half, just hard, physical play. When Russell catches a well-struck Hanrahan kick over his shoulder, there’s a big cheer from the crowd.
Bath 35 Munster 14
71 Mins: Farrell coughs up the ball after a frenzied bit of play by Munster. Carreras clears well again for Bath. Casey is off for Ethan Coughlan, having played very well individually.
Bath 35 Munster 14
70 Mins: Munster finally win a Bath lineout, and with nothing to lose, they charge upfield with abandon. Casey’s kick in behind is fantastic, but Russell and the subsititute Carreras play Bath out of immediate trouble with great skill.
Bath 35 Munster 14
67 Mins: Some opportunities for Munster to exploit, but Bath’s defence is just so stodgy again, and they win a penalty after catching Hanrahan a bit cold receiving the ball.
Bath 35 Munster 14
65 Mins: Tadgh Beirne gets a turnover for Munster, and then Cokanasiga fumbles a kick from Casey to get the Irish side back into Bath territory.
Bath 35 Munster 14
62 Mins: Penalty for Bath as the Munster scrum collapses. Five new players in off the bench for Bath, as they look to finish things out.
Bath 35 Munster 14
60 Mins: Munster, yet again, throw a great chance away. Tom Dunn rips the ball out as the Irish side close in on the try-line. Scrum for Bath.
Bath 35 Munster 14
59 Mins: The referee warns Ben Spencer again, as Bath concede three penalties in five minutes. 10 yards for Munster to score now.
Bath 35 Munster 14
57 Mins: Thomas Du Toit concedes a penalty, and Hanrahan kicks well again to give Munster another decent chance here.
Bath 35 Munster 14
55 Mins: Hanrahan makes a nice line break to get Munster up the pitch again. There’s a penalty for the Red Army thanks to Sam Underhill’s off the ball tackle too.
Bath 35 Munster 14
54 Mins: JJ Hanrahan gets a good kick away for field position. Try scorer Edogbo comes off.
Bath 35 Munster 14
52 Mins: Munster’s lineout goes wrong again, but Bath don’t make anything of it, playing it into touch. Munster get a hold of this one.
Bath 35 Munster 14
49 Mins: Penalty for Munster well inside their half. Hanrahan’s kick crosses the halfway line.
Bath 35 Munster 14
47 Mins: Knock-on from Bath, Munster scrum around halfway.
Bath 35 Munster 14
45 Mins: No good, the lineout is fielded by Bath and it’s cleared out, where it’s knocked on by Daly.
Bath 35 Munster 14
44 Mins: Penalty for Munster off the scrum, and a perfect kick from Hanrahan! Right into the corner, and now there’s a chance to get some momentum for Munster.
Bath 35 Munster 14
42 Mins: Back on at The Rec now, with a bit of kicking back and forward to start things off. Russell’s kick skids through to the back of the dead-ball zone and Munster get good field position for their scrum.
Bath 35 Munster 14
There were patches of that half that were thoroughly demoralising for Munster, but Casey’s late try gives them a small bit of hope for the second half. Their 10-minute spell without Beirne proved disastrous, as Bath raced out to a 28-0 lead.
40 Mins: Try for Munster! Craig Casey scoops it up and dives for the line himself instead of moving it on. Hanrahan converts.
Half-time: Bath 35 Munster 14
39 Mins: Munster have a lineout for a 50:22. Will Stuart is back on for Bath.
Bath 35 Munster 7
37 Mins: Try for Bath! Beno Obano powers through to score for 14-man Bath. Easy one for Russell for two points.
Bath 35 Munster 7
36 Mins: Munster really haven’t made anything of their man advantage. Finn Russell’s free-kick is sent miles into the night sky, and then an advantage sees Spencer attempt a crossfield kick. But, now we’re back a few yards from the Munster goal line for a scrum.
33 Mins: Du Toit is on for Miles Reid to give Bath support in the front row. The Premiership champs turn it over and Spencer’s kick finds Arundell and they’re back into the Munster half now.
Bath 28 Munster 7
32 Mins: Now Munster get a let-off, with Russell trying to kick it right into the corner, but getting it wrong. Munster get the scrum at halfway, win a penalty, and head down into Bath territory.
Bath 28 Munster 7
30 Mins: Things go awry for Munster, with Hanrahan trying a grubber that goes into touch. Bath now have a penalty at the halfway mark. Very frustrating from the Irish side.
Bath 28 Munster 7
29 Mins: A nice bit of shirt pulling and general handbags after the next lineout. Munster are just a few yards short of a try. Will Stuart is yellow-carded for pushing before the lineout.
Bath 28 Munster 7
28 Mins: Things are steadily getting better for Munster. They have settled into it now, and inside Bath’s 22 for the second time with a lineout. Bath lucky to get away without a yellow, as the referee says they are “back on the warning now”, leaving Munster to wonder when the last warning expired.
Bath 28 Munster 7
24 Mins: After a horror start, Munster can take some hope from the fact that they scored in their first foray into Bath’s 22. Munster scrum inside their 22 for a knock-on from the restart.
Bath 28 Munster 7
23 Mins: Try for Munster! Edwin Odogbo batters his way through the Bath forwards. Hanrahan converts.
Bath 28 Munster 7
22 Mins: Finally some good work by Munster, driving into the Bath 22, and winning a penalty. They kick for the corner.
Bath 28 Munster 0
18 Mins: Try for Bath! That’s the bonus point for Bath. Tom Dunn gets this one after Bath dominate a maul. This has been a rout so far. Nice kick from Russell again.
Bath 28 Munster 0
17 Mins: Beirne is back on, straight in for a Bath scrum for a knock-on. But it makes no difference, as the English champions win the penalty and kick for the corner.
Bath 21 Munster 0
16 Mins: Tadgh Beirne will be livid watching on, as Bath have used the extra man to create a massive lead. A Munster kick goes right through the back of the dead ball line, leaving Bath in a great position inside the Munster half.
Bath 21 Munster 0
12 Mins: Try for Bath! Arundell with this one, after the ball popped out of Munster hands. A great kick in behind was held up on the wet ground, and the winger got his hands on it for an easy finish. Then Finn Russell does his thing, converting from a tight angle.
Bath 21 Munster 0
10 Mins: Try for Bath! Miles Reid gets over the line to finish off the move after that scrum. So dominant so far from the home side.
Bath 14 Munster 0
9 Mins: A really dour start for Munster, this time the lineout isn’t straight and Bath have a scrum about 15 yards from the line. Munster’s scrum is now without Beirne too.
Bath 7 Munster 0
8 Mins: The Munster lineout has been a disaster so far, with Bath winning three out of four. The English champions all over it so far, and the crowd are right behind them.
Bath 7 Munster 0
6 Mins: Penalty try for Bath! And Tadgh Beirne is sinbinned for swimming through the side. It started from a great kick from Spencer, the scrum half having a super start so far.
Bath 7 Munster 0
4 Mins: Early penalty for Munster from the lineout, and they advance to the 22, but Bath win the contest. They clear it into touch, but then follow up and win another Munster lineout.
Bath 0 Munster 0
2 Mins: We’re underway in Bath now, as Munster get their hands on the ball early. It’s incredibly slippy, with the rain thundering down.
Bath 0 Munster 0
There’s a very strong Munster contingent in Bath tonight for this clash. Less than 10 minutes out from kick-off at The Rec.
Here’s Conor Murray’s take on Van Graan’s reign as Munster coach.
[Johann van Graan made one early decision that proved very costly for Munster]
And more from Gerry Thornley, as he reassesses Bath coach Johann Van Grann’s tenure as Munster manager.
[Gerry Thornley: Judging Johann van Graan on his lack of trophies with Munster is too crude]
Munster’s history of upsetting the odds will leave them with no fear of English champions, writes Gerry Thornley.
[Munster seek inspiration from past European glories ahead of daunting Bath showdown]
Gerry Thornley spoke to Munster’s Tom Farrell ahead of their Champions Cup opener in Bath.
[‘The games you dream of playing’: Munster’s Tom Farrell on his roundabout way to the top]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Champions Cup match between Munster and Bath at The Rec, kickoff there is at 8pm.
Ciarán Kirk will join to give you live updates after the conclusion of the Leinster match against Harlequins. Leinster not having their own way there, 24-21 after 58 minutes, will be a tight finish.
It’s a tough task for Munster against a Bath team that includes stars like Scotland’s star outhalf Finn Russell. But winning would put them well on their way to a strong Champions Cup season.
Here are the lineups:
Bath: Tom de Glanville; Joe Cokanasiga, Max Ojomoh, Cameron Redpath, Henry Arundell; Finn Russell, Ben Spencer (capt); Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Will Stuart, Quinn Roux, Charlie Ewels, Josh Bayliss, Guy Pepper, Miles Reid.
Replacements: Kepu Tuipulotu, Francois van Wyk, Thomas du Toit, Ross Molony, Ted Hill, Tom Carr-Smith, Santi Carreras, Sam Underhill.
Munster: Shane Daly; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Tom Farrell, Dan Kelly, Thaakir Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Tom Ahern; Tadhg Beirne (capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Lee Barron, Jeremy Loughman, Michael Ala’alatoa, Edwin Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn, Ethan Coughlan, Alex Nankivell, Alex Kendellen.
