Graham Rowntree proud as Munster respond in style with shutout

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree spoke of his pride after watching his side bounce back from defeat against Zebre with an impressive win over Ospreys.

The critics were circling this week, after Munster lost to the Italian side just a week after edging out Connacht in a Thomond Park thriller.

Saturday's victory at a rain-sodden Virgin Media Park was of the more straightforward variety, as Rowntree's men secured a bonus point win with a four-try victory over their Welsh visitors, who failed to trouble the scoreboard.

Shay McCarthy got the ball rolling just 10 seconds into the game, and he was one of the youngsters who was name-checked by Rowntree in his post-match appraisal.

"The conditions there were unbelievable, particularly second half into the wind," said Rowntree.

"Some young men really showed up for us. Shay McCarthy was excellent for us. We we chasing a bonus point and he had a key moment in the lead-up to that try.

"Brian Fitzgerald was excellent for us. In the last minute of the game, he's holding them up over the goal-line.

"That pleased me. We saw a reaction but our physicality and our accuracy and the weather - they stand out for me."

Victory came at a price though, as Munster picked up some knocks with Oli Jager, Peter O'Mahony and MIke Haley all expected to be assessed ahead of a Croke Park showdown with Leinster on Saturday.

"We'll see what Monday morning brings and see how those guys pull up," Rowntree said.

We need your consent to load this YouTube content We use YouTube to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences

"We've got a huge game next week now but it's about getting