United Rugby Championship: Munster crumble after early lead over Lions, Sharks tear apart Zebre

Front-rowers John Ryan and Josh Wycherley scored tries to help the visitors to a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter before Fineen Wycherley’s try just before the break helped cancel out Edwill van der Merwe’s score for the host team.

However, the conditions took their toll on Munster as the second half progressed and the home side eventually started to eat away at the deficit.

Wandisile Simelane’s 67th-minute try was crucial and Jordan Hendrikse, who kicked 13 points for the Lions in total, edged them into a lead they would not relinquish, with Munster pointless after the interval.

An early Jack Crowley penalty attempt fell just short but the Munster fly-half opened his account after Ryan burrowed over next to the posts for the game’s first try in the eighth minute.

Ryan was involved again as he and Niall Scannell demonstrated some excellent ball-carrying in the build-up to front-row colleague Josh Wycherley touching down, with Crowley again on target from the tee.

The Lions needed a spark to bring them back into the contest and it arrived when Burger Odendaal offloaded to Van der Merwe and the wing showed tremendous strength to repel a Munster tackler and scamper down the left flank to score.

Hendrikse converted and added a subsequent penalty, reducing Munster’s lead to 14-10, but there was daylight between the sides once more when some great hands led to Fineen Wycherley crashing over at the end of the first half.

Alex Kendellen had a try chalked off due to a forward pass 10 minutes into the second half and the visitors will have been grateful for their strong start – and a couple of wasted Lions opportunities – as the unfamiliar conditions began to tell.

The Lions started to take advantage of their tiring visitors