Aironi claim scalp of Munster

Aironi recorded a shock success over Munster in the RaboDirect PRO12 on Sunday, overcoming the Irish province 21-17 at Stadio Zaffanella.

First-half tries from Nicola Cattina and Gabriel Pizarro helped the Italian outfit to a superb victory over a disappointing travelling Munster side.

Aironi headed into the game on the back of five straight defeats, while their visitors were on a good run, but the result ripped up the form book.

Munster got off to a great start when Cattina won the race to touch down a perfectly-weighted Luciano Orquera kick through the middle. Orquera was wide with the conversion, but his penalty goal on fifteen minutes put Aironi eight points up.

Scott Deasy got Munster off the mark in the 27th minute, but they were left with it all to do in the second-half when Pizarro made the most of weak defence to score the Italians' second try. This time Orquera was on target with the conversion to make it to make it 15-3 at the break.

Munster knew they needed to start the second half strongly if they were to get anything out of this game, but they fell further behind on 48 minutes when Orquera booted over his second penalty of the afternoon.

The visitors were handed a lifeline just after the hour when they were awarded a penalty try following persistent infringements at the scrum, with Ian Keatley's extras making it 18-10.

But Orquera pegged Munster back with his third penalty 15 minutes from time and, although Lifeimi Mafi's well-crafted try, converted by Keatley, offered the visitors a life-line with time ticking away, Aironi were able to hold on for a deserved win.

The scorers:

For Aironi:
Tries: Cattina, Pizarro
Con: Orquera
Pen: Orquera 3

For Munster:
Tries: Penalty, Mafi
Con: Kealtey 2
Pen: Deasy

Aironi: 15 Tito Tebaldi, 14 Riccardo Pavan, 13 Matteo Pratichetti, 12 Gabriel Pizarro, 11 Sinoti Sinoti, 10 Luciano Orquera, 9 Tyson Keats, 8 Josh Sole, 7 Nicola Cattina, 6 Filippo Ferrarini, 5 Carlo Del Fava, 4 George Biagi, 3 Lorenzo Romano, 2 Roberto Santamaria, 1 Matias Aguero.
Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Alberto De Marchi, 18 Salvatore Perugini, 19 Filippo Cazzola, 20 Emiliano Caffini, 21 Giorgio Bronzini, 22 Naas Olivier, 23 Alberto Benettin.

Munster: 15 Felix Jones, 14 Denis Hurley, 13 Save Tokula, 12 Lifeimi Mafi, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Scott Deasy, 9 Duncan Williams, 8 Peter Butler, 7 Tommy O'Donnell, 6 Dave O'Callaghan, 5 Mick O'Driscoll (capt), 4 Billy Holland, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Mike Sherry, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Denis Fogarty, 17 Marcus Horan, 18 BJ Botha, 19 Ian Nagle, 20 David Wallace, 21 Cathal Sheridan, 22 Ian Keatley, 23 Luke O'Dea.

Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Filippo Bertelli (Italy), Stefano Traversi (Italy)