Munster, who like the other Irish provinces had already qualified for the business end of  the competition prior to today’s game, produced a dominant performance against the English Premiership Rugby side.

Murray opens the scoring

Conor Murray opened the scoring in usual circumstances. With Munster dominant in possession in the opening stages of the game, Wasps knocked the ball back to Murray when attempting to prevent Tadhg Beirne receiving possession. With many of the visitors believing Beirne had knocked the ball on, some stopped playing as Murray touched down.

The TMO was called into action, with the referee deciding, Beirne hadn’t knocked on when he consulted his officials and viewed the TV footage. Ben Healy added the extras to give the hosts a 7-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the fixture.

With constant pressure from Munster, Wasps could not withstand the Munster effort and soon conceded a penalty. Healy opted to kick for the posts to extend his team’s advantage to 10-0.

Zebo now Munster’s highest try-scorer in Champions Cup

A deftly chipped through ball from Healy saw Simon Zebo, who was named in the starting team in place of Keith Earls, collect the ball and fight to touch down for his side’s second five-pointer of the afternoon, the first of two on the day for the former Racing 92 man.

The score saw the Corkman join Brian O’Driscoll as the third-highest try-scorer in Heineken Champions Cup history, and surpass the late Anthony Foley as Munster’s top try-scorer in the competition with 24 – it would become 25 later in the day. Ben Healy maintained his 100% record kicking for the posts by converting for 17-0 with less than 20 minutes on the clock.

ZEBO! ZEBO! ZEBO!

Simon Zebo becomes @Munsterrugby‘s top European try scorer, surpassing the late great Axel Foley

Look at what it means! #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/Ce5cw9soLe

— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) January 23, 2022

Dan Robson finally got the Premiership club on the scoreboard when touching down right of the Munster posts in the 26th minute. With Charlie Atkinson adding the conversion, Wasps’ delight was short-lived as Munster immediately headed downfield.

O’Donoghue try on 150th appearance in red

With Wasps scrambling to get back into position, Gavin Coombes burst through the Premiership Rugby side’s defensive effort, before Jack O’Donoghue, on his 150th appearance in red, scored his side’s third try of the afternoon. The reliable Healy kicked the two points for a 24-7 lead with only 30 minutes played.

Gavin Coombes what a carry!

Charlie Atkinson bounces off Coombs who blasts his way past the Wasps defence, setting it nicely for Jack O’Donoghue to finish for @Munsterrugby #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/olJv9DF3J0

— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) January 23, 2022

Gavin Coombes paid the price for constant Munster infringements when yellow-carded minutes before half-time. With Wasps nestled on the Munster line, the home side were penalised a number of times before Coombes was sent to the bin.

With Johann van Graan’s men missing the powerful Coombes, Wasps would have expected to cross the line, but incredible defensive work from the men in red saw them hold out with the referee eventually awarding them a penalty, which relieved the pressure.

A neck injury for Wasps’ Thomas Young saw the player treated on the field with the game stopped for 10 minutes, before being stretchered off to respectful applause from the crowd. The back-row was replaced by Ben Morris.

Half-time: Munster Rugby 24  Wasps Rugby 7

Loughman secures bonus-point try

Prop Jeremy Loughman, named in the starting team earlier in the day when Dave Kilcoyne was sick, scored his first Champions Cup try within the opening minute of the second half.

Munster, who had a penalty kick, opted for the line-out and despite the absence of Coombes, who was still in the sin-bin, the men in red powerfully drove for the try-scoring line, before Loughman crashed over.

With the bonus-point try now secured, Ben Healy added another two points to the score board, which read 31-7 in favour of Munster, with 46 minutes on the stadium game clock.

As both sides emptied their benches, an action that took the continuity and flow out of the game, it didn’t prevent Munster striking for two further tries late in the game.

Simon Zebo scored a second try to the cheers of the Munster faithful, before Rory Scannell claimed a five-pointer with the clock in red. Both scores were converted by Jack Crowley, leaving Johann van Graan’s side 45-7 victors.

Today’s game gave more valuable Champions Cup experience to some of Munster’s younger players, while veteran of 150 appearances in red, Jack O’Donoghue was named Heineken Star of the Match. The Waterford man, at 27 years of age, becomes the youngest Munster player to reach the 150 milestone.

Final score: Munster Rugby 45  Wasps Rugby 7

Munster Rugby:

15. Mike Haley, 14. Andrew Conway, 13. Chris Farrell, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Simon Zebo, 10. Ben Healy, 9. Conor Murray.

1. Jeremy Loughman, 2. Diarmuid Barron, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Jean Kleyn, 5. Tadhg Beirne, 6. Peter O’Mahony (captain), 7. Jack O’Donoghue, 8. Gavin Coombes.

Munster Replacements:

16. Scott Buckley, 17. John Wycherley, 18. John Ryan, 19. Fineen Wycherley, 20. John Hodnett, 21. Craig Casey, 22. Jack Crowley, 23. Alex Kendellen.

Try: Murray, Zebo (2), O’Donoghue, Loughman, R Scannell

Conversion: Healy 4, Crowley (2)

Pen: Healy

Wasps:

15. Ali Crossdale, 14. Marcus Watson. 13. Paolo Odogwu, 12. Michael Le Bourgeois, 11. Josh Bassett, 10. Charlie Atkinson, 9. Dan Robson.

1. Tom West, 2. Tom Cruse, 3. Elliot Millar-Mills, 4. Elliott Stooke, 5. James Gaskell, 6. Brad Shields (captain), 7. Thomas Young, 8. Nizaam Carr.

Wasps Replacements:

16. Gabriel Oghre, 17, Rodrigo Martinez, 18. Pieter Scholtz, 19. Tim Cardall, 20. Ben Morris, 21. Will Porter, 22. Rob Miller, 23. Sam Spink.

Try: Robson.

Conversion: Atkinson.

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Roche, riding his eight World Championship Road Race, kept Irish hopes alive until the closing stages of the 258-kilometre race, before losing touch with the main group as Alaphilippe went on to end a 23-year wait for France cycling.

The Irish cycling team was led by Roche with support from Time Trial specialist, Ryan Mullen and 20-year old, Ben Healy. The difficult route featured over 5,000 metres of climbing, with the peloton of 177 men was reduced considerably as the day wore on.

Roche remained in contention until the final 45 kilometres where he was dropped from the leading group on one of many climbs which ramped up to a 15% gradient. He had the consolation of being the only Irish finisher, coming home 51^st from 177 starters.

Speaking afterward, Roche said:

“I think I rode a pretty decent race, just the legs let me go in the finish. I was always up the front, Ben (Healy) was around me for quite a long time and I just faded near the finish when the race really really started. I was just a little bit short.”

Healy and Mullen provided support in the early hours of the race, retiring before the finish. Just 88 riders could complete one of the toughest routes in memory.

Belgian Wout van Aert finished second and Marc Hirschi from Switzerland took third after more than six and a half hours in the saddle.

As he entered the famous Imola race track, Alaphilippe knew that he was getting closer and closer to a memorable victory, and after a short glance over his shoulder, he powered towards the line, which he crossed with tears in his eyes. Sunday’s win cemented the 28-year-old’s reputation as one of the peloton’s finest and most complete riders.

Alaphilippe, who became the fourth different Deceuninck – Quick-Step rider to win the World Road Race Championships – after Tom Boonen (2005), Paolo Bettini (2006, 2007) and Michal Kwiatkowski (2014) – dedicated Sunday’s triumph to his late father:

“It’s hard for me to describe how I am feeling right now, there are so many things I think of now, so many feelings. This is my greatest victory, a win which I promised to my father I will get one day. Once I attacked with 12 kilometres to go and opened a gap, I was focused on staying at the front and going close to my limit. When I arrived alone at the finish, I couldn’t believe that my dream came true. The coveted rainbow jersey is the most beautiful one in cycling and to know that I will wear it for twelve months gives me huge pride.”

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Two Irish riders, Ryan Mullan and Nicolas Roche will race the elite men’s time trial tomorrow, Friday, 25 September. The largely flat 31.7-kilometre route starts and finishes at the Imola autodrome and passes through the town of Borgo at the halfway mark. Unlike the road race, the time trial course has just 200m of elevation gain meaning it is expected riders will need to average in excess of 50kph to be in contention.

Roche suffered a crash on stage 10 of this year’s Tour however recovered well to feature in multiple breakaways and secure his 64^th top 10 stage finish in a Grand Tour.

Mullan is a 4-time Irish National Champion in the time trial and bronze medallist at the 2017 European Championships while Roche has 2 TT National titles to his name.

Both Roche and Mullen will also compete in the men’s road race over an arduous 258.2 kilometres featuring 9 loops and 5,000m of climbing on Sunday, 27 September. They will be joined in the race by Ben Healy and Dan Martin.

Martin started the Tour de France just 2 weeks after fracturing a bone in his lower back. The injury forced Martin to maintain a low profile in the early stages of the race however he sprung into the limelight on stage 13 in a long-range breakaway finishing 11^th and again on stage 17. With the Israel Start-Up Nation cycling team member coming into form, the 2020 UCI Road World Championships course looks to suit the punchy climber.

Ireland Squad for UCI Road World Championships, Imola, 25-27 September

Elite Men road race: Dan Martin, Nicolas Roche, Ben Healy, Ryan Mullen.

Elite Men Time Trial: Nicolas Roche, Ryan Mullen.

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