LEICS
No.Name
15Mathew Tait, FB
T
14Adam Thompstone, W
13Manu Tuilagi, C
12Matt To'omua, C
11Jonny May, W
10George Ford, FH
3
9Ben Youngs, SH
1Kyle Traynor, P
2Tom Youngs, H
3Dan Cole, P
4Michael Fitzgerald, L
5Graham Kitchener, L
6Tino Mapapalangi, FL
7Mike Williams, FL
8Sione Kalamafoni, N8
Replacements
16Tatafu Polota-Nau, R
17Logovi'i Mulipola, R
18Chris Baumann, R
19Dom Barrow, R
20Luke Hamilton, R
21Sam Harrison, R
22Joe Ford, R
23Nick Malouf, R

*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold

Game Info

Venue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium
5:30 PM, December 17, 2017
All CommentaryKey Events

Match Commentary

81'+116-25 End of second half
80'
80' FULL TIME -- Quick full time review:

Munster deserved the victory but Leicester largely had themselves to blame. Cole gifted Munster five penalties alone in the first half and then was subsequently binned.

CJ Stander brilliant for Munster with 19 carries, while Tuliagi, on his return, didn't do too much of note besides nearly grabbing a very late try for the Tigers. O'Mahony played well as well.
80'Fantastic defensive work from Munster as Tuliagi very nearly created a try from nothing there just in Munster's 22.
79'Murray fires it the safety into the stands as Leicester attempt one last attempt of a try.
78'16-25 Penalty goal - Ian Keatley , Munster
77'Munster earn yet another penalty and that should be enough for them to see the game out from here. They have just been the better side, especially over the last 10 minutes. Keatley is teeing up the kick...
74'Munster getting better and better with every passing minute. Errors creeping into the game as tiredness continues to set in. Leicester penalised for a knock on and another chance for Munster to see the game out. They have the ball in hand and will feed the scrum along half way.
73'16-22 Penalty goal - Ian Keatley , Munster
72'Solid tackling from O'Mahony. Solid. Powerful.

And his side have just earnt another penalty. Big three points.
71'A game of back-and-forth between the kickers at the moment. Keatley the latest to punt it up field.
71'Substitute on - Alex Wootton , Munster
71'Player substituted - Stephen Archer , Munster
70'Few substitutions for both Munster and Ryan is also back on after his sin bin. Big 10 minutes for both sides with just three points in it.
70'Substitute on - Nick Malouf , Leicester Tigers
70'Player substituted - Adam Thompstone , Leicester Tigers
70'Player substituted - Graham Kitchener , Leicester Tigers
70'Substitute on - Dom Barrow , Leicester Tigers
68'Player substituted - Alex Wootton , Munster
68'Substitute on - Stephen Archer , Munster
67'Scrum, deep in Leicester's half, with Munster to feed...
67'Player substituted - Dave Kilcoyne , Munster
67'Substitute on - Brian Scott , Munster
67'Player substituted - Chris Cloete , Munster
67'Substitute on - Jack O'Donoghue , Munster
66'The penalty decision goes Leicester's way after some continuous pressure from Munster who have been pushing hard with the ball in hand over the past couple of minutes.

Ford kicks for the lineout...
65'
63'Stander bashes through Hamilton's tackle and now it's Munster's turn to attack. Keatley tries for the drop goal but he puts it wide.
63'Drop goal-missed
61'16-19 Penalty goal - George Ford , Leicester Tigers
61'Yellow card - John Ryan , Munster
60'Ryan sent to the bin for a cynical foul - a massive lift for Leicester who really need to make this man advantage pay.
60'Tuilagi, Kitchener and Tait all making notable carries inside the Munster 22. Credit to the side wearing red as they are holding very firm but the Tigers are looking threatening.
59'And now we're into the scrums, not far from Munster's try line. Leicester really looking to build on those three points a moment ago. They are looking energised and motivated right now, a good bet to score a try any second now...
58'Substitute on - John Ryan , Munster
58'Player substituted - Stephen Archer , Munster
58'Substitute on - Niall Scannell , Munster
58'Player substituted - Kevin O'Byrne , Munster
57'Player substituted - Mike Williams , Leicester Tigers
57'Substitute on - Luke Hamilton , Leicester Tigers
57'Player substituted - Tom Youngs , Leicester Tigers
57'Substitute on - Tatafu Polota-Nau , Leicester Tigers
56'Munster lineout out...
54'Looks like we've seen a bit of a momentum swing. Munster - who have slightly looked the better side during this game - seem to have made a couple of avoidable errors and misjudgments.

Leicester look inspired from that recent three points. Can they make it count and emerge victorious?
52'
52'13-19 Penalty goal - George Ford , Leicester Tigers
51'Penalty for Leicester and Ford is teeing this one up from 31m out...
50'Munster continuing to endure their defence being stretched by a battering pack of Leicester ball carriers.
49'Tigers on the attack with Ben Youngs carrying the ball into a collision.
49'Substitute on - Adam Thompstone , Leicester Tigers
49'Player substituted - Kyle Traynor , Leicester Tigers
48'Cole has returned to the pitch with 10 points conceded in his absence.

Tough battle at the minute with Munster looking the more likely of scoring out of the two sides. May is settling into the game more as he chases down his own kick. Couldn't quite get there but it's a wake up call to Munster to always stay switched on.
47'Zebo threatens down the left flank as he chases down his own kick, but Tait is there to kick clear.

Dan Cole is looking on and it's nearly time for his return.
44'10-19 Conversion - Ian Keatley , Munster
43'TRY!!!

It's been given - Stander scores! His seventh try in 29 European matches.

It really was a bash-and-barge while hoping for the best job for that try. Loads of bodies covering the ball but Tigers couldn't hold them out
43'Munster steal Leicester's lineout and Murray darts towards the Tigers' line, dodging three tacklers in the process.

He's about a metre out before having to hand back to his teammates who eventually guide it over the line.

Munster think they've scored here but we're off to the TMO!
43'10-17 Try - CJ Stander , Munster
42'Couple of scrums to open the second half properly before a Leicester lineout. Again, it's a battle of attrition between the packs at a minute.
42'Player substituted - Adam Thompstone , Leicester Tigers
42'Substitute on - Kyle Traynor , Leicester Tigers
41'We're back underway with Munster kicking us into play.
41'Yellow card - Dan Cole , Leicester Tigers
41'+310-12 End of first half
40'
40'
40'Nice kick from Murray from 54 metres, but JUST wide. Good effort.
40'Some success at the driving maul for Munster but it's not enough. However, the referee has awarded them another penalty - again!

Kitchener penalised for coming in at the side.
40'There we have it - Dan Cole is off to the bin after his fifth penalty in the first half alone.

Keatley fires the kick into the stands and Munster will continue for one last play.
40'10-12 Start of second half
40'10-12 Penalty goal - Ian Keatley , Munster
39'Looks like we're going to close this half out with ANOTHER penalty caused by Leicester...could be a card coming out soon...
37'And Leicester have just given away their NINTH penalty of the half. Chance for the visiting team to go ahead from the kick.
36'Munster on top still at the moment and trying to up their pursuits of a try. Tigers doing well at keeping them at bay.
34'Dan Cole has given away four penalties already this half.
34'10-9 Penalty goal - Ian Keatley , Munster
33'Munster so nearly turn their lineout from five metres out into a try. They bash and barge their way towards the try line but can't quite make that breakthrough needed to secure their first try.
31'Kick from Ford but a brilliant take from Sweetnam in the air.
30'Scrum with Leicester to feed. Just along the halfway.
29'Substitute on - Logovi'i Mulipola , Leicester Tigers
29'Player substituted - Kyle Traynor , Leicester Tigers
28'Superb defence from Tait to deny Sweetnam down the flank. That could have been a try if it wasn't for that tackle just along the line.
27'Cloete smashes through Leicester's line and carries it 20 or so yards, but he doesn't have the pace and mis-times the offload. Threatening, but not quite...
25'Can Munster manage one of these? They are pushing for one right now, and look the more likely of the two sides to notch the game's second...

25'Munster's Jerry Flannery: "We expected the physicality at the break down. We're disappointed at the try we've conceded. Otherwise our set piece has been going pretty well."
24'10-6 Penalty goal - Ian Keatley , Munster
23'Munster on the front foot and arguably have been the better side over the past five or so minutes. Desperately pushing for their first try of the game.
22'The game is heavily engaged in a battle of attrition between the two packs at the moment. Neither side managing to make much ground with the ball in hand.
18'Munster trying to hit back with a try of their own but the feet of Ford kick the Tigers out of any risk of conceding a try. Munster now have a lineout, but it's deep in their half and no imminent threat of notching their first try just yet.
16'He's back on his feet and looks fine, much to the delight of the Tigers.
15'Looks like Cole could be suffering from a bit of an injury at the moment. He's on the floor and plays been stopped... He is conscious and sat up, but something is bothering him.
15'10-3 Conversion - George Ford , Leicester Tigers
13'TRY FOR LEICESTER, TAIT SCORES

Great try, that. Brilliant hands from Kitchener who offloads to his right to find Tait, who faints a little before darting swiftly through the Munster line to touch down for the first try of the game.
13'8-3 Try - Mathew Tait , Leicester Tigers
12'Very enjoyable game so far. Dan Cole, who is playing in his 188th game for Leicester, earns his side a penalty along the half way thanks to his decent handywork at the breakdown. Ford has kicked for the lineout and here we go, deep in Munster's half...
11'3-3 Penalty goal - Ian Keatley , Munster
10'And make no mistake about it - he's nailed that one perfectly. Tidy kick.
9'Penalty to Munster! Chance for points. Keatly has scored 27 of his 37 kicks this season...
8'Two consecutive Munster lineouts tempt of a potential try deep in the Tigers' 22 box. However, Leicester are doing at spectacular job so far of bashing their opponents back to their own half as best as possible.
6'And Munster have all of a sudden turned the game on it's head! Superb kick into the corner from Keatley.
4'Tigers continuing to dominate proceedings so far and Keatley knocks the ball on for Munster, and the side wearing green will feed the scrum.
3'3-0 Penalty goal - George Ford , Leicester Tigers
1'Brilliant start from Ford. Decent opening kick and Leicester earn the lineout deep in Munster's half.

The Tigers have then worked it well and earnt their first penalty of the game, of which Ford is looking to slot in between the posts and grab the first points.
1'George Ford kicks us underway!!!
1'
1'Hello and welcome to ESPN's live commentary of the Champions Cup match between Leicester and Munster.

England centre Manu Tuilagi returns to the Leicester side for the first time since the opening weekend of the season. He has been out since injuring his knee against Bath at the start of September.

TEAMS

Leicester: Tait; Thompstone, Tuilagi, Toomua, May; Ford, Youngs; Traynor, Youngs, Cole, Fitzgerald, Kitchener, Mapapalangi, Williams, Kalafamoni

Munster: Zebo; Sweetnam, Arnold, Scannell, Wootton; Keatley, Murray; Kilcoyne, O'Byrne, Archer, Kleyn, Holland, O'Mahony, Cloete, Stander
1'0-0 Start of first half

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