FULL-TIME: Munster 15-6 Australia
What a performance by Munster who finished the game with almost everyone from the bench getting a go. Australia were poor but Munster could really have won by a lot more. But sure, Munster normally beat the Aussies don't they? ;) Sorry I couldn't get around to all the emails but thanks for following us, good night!
79mins: Something went wrong there though and Australia clear the line with a long penalty from Barnes - Munster win the line out though and attack again and the ref blows the full-time whistle after the next Wallaby attack breaks down.
78mins: They don't get far though and Munster pressure leads to another scrum 10 yards out. Applause goes up as Barry Murphy takes to the field folllowing a long injury.
77mins: Munster go for the line out and take it cleanly - phase after phase but they just can't quite break through. Australia glad to get a relieving scrum.
76mins: Munster take the lineout ball and the forwards romp forward - Aussies can't handle it though and concede another penalty...
73mins: No he can't but comes close nonetheless. Another Munster penalty though and Warwick finds touch 15 yards from the Oz line. Deasy comes on or Murphy...
72mins: Barnes takes his eye off it as Oz were finally making headway, but spills forward - Munster scrum - Williams breaks forward and finds Howlett who is grounded - Oz penalised for not releasing in the tackle though, Warwick kick from wide - he can hardly convert this one..?
Dom T brings... 'Greetings from the Caribbean where it's only 32C here currently. Sorry. :) It's a pity that the conditions are as bad as they are - two teams that could play some expansive football are being pounded by the elements and not each other (apart from before the HT whistle) Hopefully the Munsters can do it.'
It's looking like they will Dom - still in the Oz half!
68mins: Over 21,000 have braved the conditions at Thomond Park and they're being rewarded with a determined performance.
67mins: Well we're still in the Oz half - Munster going through the phases and are up really up for it, while Australia look like they wish they'd never agreed to this match...
'Sittin at my PC en Buenos Aires seeing out last hours in work glued to ur coverage, keep up good work. Hoping munster can go one better than against NZ a few yrs back!
Vamos Munster!!!' - Thanks to John MacMahon.
Daniel Dowling wants to... 'wish Munster the best of luck in the second half, come on the red army!!! I'm a UL student on work experience at the moment in Belgium, would love to have been there.'
64mins: From a distance, with the posts swaying, Warwick catches it well but it goes wide off the upright.
64mins: Ma’afu penalised for bringing the scrum down - it's a long way out but Warwick is going for it...
'Come on Munster, looking over Sydney Harbour (you're bragging now Ian :) while keeping an eye on the match. Second half with the wind, go on you good things.'
62mins: Munster 15-6 Australia Munster go through two phases - Warwick drops into the pocket... receives good ball and drives straight through it to stretch the lead with a true drop goal...
60mins: And thanks to reading your emails I've missed some of the action - but it's a penalty to Munster... Warwick mis-kicks for once though, Australia knock forward however - red srcum 10 yards out...
Fergal says: 'Delighted to be able to follow the match from rugbyless San Sebastian...go raibh mile maith agaibh!
Ps: would SOMEBODY give Paul Warick an Irish passport!?!'
Josh from New Zealand says: 'Go Munster!!! and go Doug and Sam.'
58mins: O'Mahony is good to continue...
56mins: Australia continue with that tactic but Munster win a scrum - they go blind but fail to reach the line just as it beckoned - Australia penalty and a well earned breather for both teams as O'Mahony receives treatment...
54mins: Borlase, Holland, Varley all make drives, pounding the Aussie pack, then Williams makes a dash to within a yard of the line - Australia turn the ball over though, fair play to them because a try really looked imminent - scrum to Oz - they pick and go and try to run from defence and make it to the 22.
53mins: Munster srcum - they pick and go - Oz having trouble containing them - 10 yards from the line now...
52mins: Australia having trouble clearing their half now - on the other hand Munster kicking brilliantly with the wind - back in the Wallabies' 22...
49mins: Munster 12-6 Australia No bother to him, straight through the posts - great kicking despite gale force winds...
48mins: Munster take short line out and go through the phases - Faingaa, who has just returned to the field is penalised - chance for Warwick...
46mins: Australia punt through but Murphy takes and clears the length of the field - Australia have a line out on their line. They win ball and clear but can't clear their 22 - Munster line out...
45mins: Australia having awful difficulty dealing with the wind and a rushed clearance from a Murphy high ball goes to Earls who makes 20 yards before being taken down. Munster pile forward but are eventually penalised for handling off their feet.
42mins: Munster 9-6 Australia No doubt about that effort as Munster lead for the first time.
41mins: Oz fail to deal with Warwick's kick-off and Holland is first on them - Oz concede from left of the posts - Warwick for the lead...
41mins: Munster get the half underway with the considerable wind, and considerable crowd, behind them...
Tryon in North Carolina says: 'Go on Munster, you can do it.' He just might be right.
News just in.... Ireland's Donnacha Ryan has been suspended for three weeks after an independent Six Nations disciplinary committee upheld a citing for stamping which followed Saturday's match against Samoa.
And we have Ivan in Canada saying: 'The conditions in Thomond are awful and the lads are doing well but listening here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where we are at -8 in the middle of a winter storm it could be worse for the men in red. '
From NASA to Lancaster, Patrick and Chris are in a Caravan that's 'shaking with the wind and rain... Go on Munster!'
Half time: Munster 6-6 Australia
41mins: Munster win line-out and Earls makes another break in midfield - he's going for it every time. Munster lose posession though and the half comes to an end - Munster have to be the happier though as they'll have the considerable wind in the second half - will they use it right though as Australia couldn't seem to.
39mins: The ref couldn't really sort it out with his linesmen unable to blame any one man, so all the bold boys remain on the pitch - tut tut though of course. Warwick clears to the Australia 22 with a massive clearance...
38mins: Munster defend an Australia scrum on their own line brilliantly - not sure what happened next but it certainly kicked off with near enough everyone piling in for a right scrap - sort that one out ref...
'Killarney native listening to audio coverage in Virginia, USA!!!Come on Munster!!' David Fogarty drops in from the NASA Langley Research Center of all places...
34mins: Munster 6-6 Australia Great strike by Warwick with a strong wind and rain in his face - he kicks hard and low for the leveller.
32mins: The Munster pack are doing trojan work, slowly making ground and putting pressure on the Australia pack when needed. That has just paid off as Faingaa has been sin binned. Warwick is going for the posts from wide on the left...
29mins: Munster 3-6 Australia Barnes kicks well from slightly to the right for an Asutralian lead.
27mins: Munster penalised - kickable penalty after Ronan went in from the side to support a team mate on the floor.
25mins: Disappointment for the home side as Australia gain a relieving penalty with a huge shove - Australia clear.
'Tuned in from Poland with school trip from Limerick. Go Nagle go.' That's from Greg, Willie, Helena and boys.
23mins: Munster put fierce pressure on the Oz line with phase after phase, pounding the line - so close, but the ref eventually blows for a penalty after numerous infringements from the Australians.
22mins: Munster come so close - Borlase puts a big boot from broken play downfield and Earls is on it kicking it on twice before the final bounce took it away from him just as the Aussie line was beckoning - Munster scrum though...
21mins: Win the line-out and spread it out the backs but the forwards are penalised for offside, unfortunate.
19mins: Munster are playing out of their skins but finding it hard to get out of their own half - Oz penalised for going down early in the scrum - Warwick finds touch inside the Oz half...
17mins: Munster line-out is working well anyway as they win another in their own half and the forwards then make ground - the ball is sent out the back again but handling lets them down, they retrieve the ball, however they make little ground.
15mins: Munster look to run the ball more often than maybe they would due to the wind, and it's an entertaining game so far - holding their own...
12mins: They win the scrum and attempt to run from defence - Oz are penalised for offside.
10mins: A Williams box kick comes back with the wind and Munster are penalised for not retreating I think - not sure why to be honest as there was little they could following the flight of the ball. Munster scrum down in a dangerous position, 10 yards from their own line...
8mins: The conditions really are awful and Munster will be happy staying in touch during the first half as they are playing into a strong wind. Australia attacking now...
6mins: Munster 3-3 Australia Munster secure line-out again and go through three or four phases before releasing to Warwick who drops for three points - great play.
5mins: Munster win line-out ball and pressure tells on the Oz forwards who concede another penalty - Warwick goes to the corner...
4mins: Penalty to Munster inside the Oz half and Warwick goes for touch with the wind in his face...
3mins: Munster 0-3 Australia Barnes needs a team mate to hold the ball in position but sends a great effort over from the right hand side for first blood.
1min: Australia's Barnes gets things underway with an arkward grubber kick, Munster take ball and form a ruck but get penalised - an early penalty attempt for Australia...
19:59 The teams are out on the pitch, full house but the conditions are atrocious...
19:43 Francis Higgins says... 'who can you see really pushing forward to break into munster team in coming few years
and potentially in the irish set up further down the line. The likes of nagle, o'mahony and holland look good. do you see the o'connells and wallaces of the future in these boys?
19:35 It's wet and windy in Limerick tonight, much like most of the country...
19:18 Norman Lowther from Raheny has a message for our studio panel - she says...
'Tom,
Please ask George Hook to spare us from his usual moaning & whingeing when the match inevitably starts to go in favour of the Wallabies !! He really needs to take a chill pill as its only a game for Gods sake !!'
I'd listen up George, she sounds serious!
19:05 Serhan Arcan is looking forward to the next generation... 'Looking forward to seeing the young guns blazing tonight. The team is getting old and the likes of O'Gara, O'Connel, O'Callaghan et al won't be around for long. Can't wait to see Nagle and Murphy. Hope Earls has a decent game as well. Gwan Munster!'
18:30 Patrick is... 'Looking forward to seeing Ian Nagle again tonight. Looks to be a tremendous player for the future, dominates the lineout and is very good around the park. Seen him for Con a few times, looks the real deal. Peter O'Mahony at 6, Irish cap in next 3 years most definitely.'
Users around the world can listen to live commentary on tonight's game courtesy of RTÉ's Michael Corcoran.
Users in Ireland can watch the game live here from 7.30pm.
The Munster team for tonight's clash is:
Johne Murphy, Doug Howlett, Keith Earls, Sam Tuitupou, Denis Hurley, Paul Warwick, Duncan Williams, Wian Du Preez, Damien Varley, Peter Borlase, Billy Holland, Ian Nagle, Peter O'Mahony, Niall Ronan, James Coughlan (captain)
Replacements: Mike Sherry, Stephen Archer, Alan Quinlan/Brian Hayes, Tommy O'Donnell, Conor Murray, Scott Deasy, Barry Murphy.
The Australia team is:
Lachie Turner, Luke Morahan, Pat McCabe, Anthony Faingaa, Rod Davies, Berrick Barnes (captain), Luke Burgess, Richard Brown, Matt Hodgson, Scott Higginbotham, Dean Mumm, Rob Simmons, Salesi Ma’afu, Saia Faingaa, Ben Daley
