Erasmus delighted by win over 'X-Factor' Leicester

Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus praised his players for their emphatic 38-0 Pool 1 win over "X-Factor" Leicester Tigers at Thomond Park.

Munster stay ahead of Glasgow at the top of the European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 1 standings, after inflicting a first European whitewash in 13 years on the Aviva Premiership side.

Simon Zebo went over for a converted try, and Tyler Bleyendaal stroked over four penalties as the Irish province went in 19-0 up at the break, before Jaco Taute added two second-half tries and was also was hauled down by George Worth for Munster's late penalty try.

Munster face the Tigers, their conquerors home and away in the European Cup last season, at Welford Road on Saturday in the return match, and the South African admits he is wary of a backlash from Aaron Mauger's side.

"It was good performance, and obviously we are proud, but we go over to that side [of the Irish Sea] next week and it will be more challenging for us," Erasmus told BT Sport 2.

"The players should be proud - I think they made their tackles personal as Leicester have a lot of "X-Factor" players, so to keep them to zero is good.

"But, as I say, there is another 80 minutes next week. There is no reality needed - we will enjoy tonight but we know what is coming our way next week."

Munster flanker CJ Stander praised the work-rate of his team-mates, but agreed with Erasmus that Leicester will be gunning for revenge next week,

"Fair play to the boys, everyone pitched up today and we played the way we wanted to," man-of-the-match Stander told BT Sport 2.

"But it is only the first half - we go there next week to a place where we were disappointed last year, but hopefully we can stick it up again.

"We worked a lot on our defence in the last few months, and [defence coach] Jacques [Nienaber] is very passionate about the defence, and we tap off that.

"It is something we worked on, and fair play to the lads for stepping up with the tackles.

"Everybody stepped up from the forward to the back line. We we look from the forward line and the backs are over the advantage, It makes you happy when you are forwards. But it back to the wheel for next week, working hard for next Saturday.

"We will see what we didn't do right and work on that."

Photo (Inpho/ Dan Sheridan)

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