By Andrew Baldock, Press Association Sport
Published: 23:01 GMT, 11 January 2019 | Updated: 23:01 GMT, 11 January 2019
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Munster took a giant step towards the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals and dumped Gloucester out of Europe by crushing them 41-15 at Kingsholm.
Fly-half Joey Carbery ran the show, bumping his opposite number Danny Cipriani off centre-stage through a brilliant 26-point haul that included two tries.
Centre Rory Scannell and wings Keith Earls and Andrew Conway also touched down, although there was a possible concern for Ireland boss Joe Schmidt ahead of the Six Nations when Munster captain Peter O'Mahony went off nursing what appeared to be a rib injury just after half-time.
Joey Carbery scored 26 points for Munster in their impressive win over Gloucester
Gloucester managed tries by wing Ollie Thorley and prop Fraser Balmain, plus a Billy Twelvetrees penalty and conversion, yet they remain bottom of Pool Two after Munster opened up an eight-point lead at the top.
And the Irish heavyweights, who claimed a five-point maximum from their west country victory, will be guaranteed a place in the last eight if they beat current Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter in Limerick next Saturday.
Cipriani returned after missing Gloucester's last three games due to a chest injury suffered in the Champions Cup home defeat against Exeter, while Thorley also featured and Franco Mostert switched from lock to blindside flanker.
Munster head coach Johann Van Graan, meanwhile, made a number of changes from the side that beat Guinness PRO14 opponents Connacht last weekend, including starts
