Munster's unbeaten run comes to an end

RUGBY / ULSTER 23 MUNSTER 18: Though the physical wounds will be more of a concern, nonetheless Munster suffered an ill-timed jolt to their confidence when losing at Ravenhill last night. So ended their proud 17-game unbeaten record in the Guinness Interprovincials, Ulster even edging them out of second place.

Most of the damage was done in a manner reminiscent of their bad old days at this ground with one of those off-colour starts which left them 16 points adrift. Though Munster hauled themselves back in front in an increasingly fractious and fragmented affair, albeit with tries from a lineout maul and a charge down, they were then victims of a charge down themselves in losing out at the end.

"We were hoping to keep that run going but it's always difficult up in Ravenhill," admitted manager Jerry Holland, who sought to accentuate the positive. "In terms of the second-half performance I thought they fought very hard to get back into the game and in the context of the Heineken Cup final it was a very useful work-out."

Sod's law decreed there would have to be casualties as Paul O'Connell and Anthony Horgan were brought off due to ankle and shoulder injuries which Holland said "will have to be assessed in the next few days".

On a sunny May evening, ideal save for a tricky breeze, Paddy Johns invariably received the warmest of welcomes from the estimated 5-6,000 crowd as he led Ulster out in his final game. Almost as predictably Ulster set about their opponents with gusto.

Munster hardly had the ball in the opening quarter and compounded the lack of urgency in their play with missed tackles. Even when given opportunities to get into the game they blighted their performance with turnovers.

Paddy Wallace having arrowed a touch kick into the corner, Munster coughed up their first lineout and were penalised at the first scrum for the Ulster outhalf to open the scoring with his second penalty attempt. He missed another as the traffic continued to travel one way but after Ryan Constable had rounded Rob Henderson, Tony McWhirter and Matt Sexton created the field position for Wallace to land a drop goal.

Finally Munster worked their way upfield, moving the ball across the line to John Kelly from a lineout inside the Ulster 22 but the red shirts weren't to the breakdown in sufficient numbers and Andy ward made a muscular steal to keep Ulster's dander up; Wallace soon adding another penalty.

There was no let-up from Ulster. Warren Brosnihan crashed through Ronan O'Gara up the middle and from the recycle Bryn Cunningham danced a jig through an unusually porous Munster defence. A couple of rucks later Wallace ignored an overlap to step inside and out again for a try under the sticks which he converted. Wallace 16 Munster 0.

Eventually the heavy penalty count evened out and Munster worked their way into the corner. Frankie Sheahan found Paul O'Connell at the tail and though the maul went to ground, the lock popped out to touch down. O'Gara missed the kickable conversion but with Ward having been sin binned seemingly for over use of the boot, Henderson and Peter Clohessy rumbled for O'Gara to end the half with a penalty.

No sooner had Ward returned after the break, however, than Alan Quinlan was binned for his use of the boot. O'Gara made better use of his, at least, when nailing the first of two 50-metre penalties following the replacement of O'Connell.

Munster got a reprieve when Gary Longwell's rucking resulted in a reversed penalty. But no sooner had Quinlan returned Clohessy was sin binned, invoking memories of Trevor Brennan's old joke about Alan Lewis not so much needing a sin bin as a skip. O'Gara hit the upright with a 30-metre penalty but it worked out better for Munster as Peter Stringer charged down Wallace to follow up and score. O'Gara converted from out wide.

However, with the game seemingly in their pockets, Munster were undone when O'Gara's blindside chip was charged down by Warren Brosnihan and Neil Doak foot-rushed from inside halfway for an opportunist try.

Wallace converted and so Munster went in search of a try. The last chance came with successive close-in line-outs, Munster fumbling the first and, despite a sustained drive, Ulster tackled like men possessed.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 7 mins: Wallace pen 3-0; 13 mins: Wallace drop goal 6-0; 21 mins: Wallace pen 9-0; 24 mins: Wallace try and con 16-0; 29 mins: O'Connell try 16-5; 39 mins: O'Gara pen 16-8; (half-time 16-8); 50 mins: O'Gara pen 16-11; 67 mins: Stringer try, O'Gara con 16-18; 76 mins: Doak try, Wallace con 23-18.

ULSTER: B Cunningham, S Coulter, R Constable, S McDowell, T Howe, P Wallace, N Doak, J Fitzpatrick, M Sexton, S Best, P Johns, G Longwell, W Brosnihan, R Nelson, A Ward (Captain). Replacements: N Brady for Sexton (2-6 mins, 34-38 mins), R Nelson for McWhirter (69 mins), B Young for Fitzpatrick (81 mins).

MUNSTER: D Crotty; J Kelly, R Henderson, J Holland, A Horgan; R O'Gara, P Stringer; P Clohessy, F Sheahan, J Hayes, M Galwey (capt), P O'Connell, D O'Callaghan, A Quinlan, D Wallace. Replacements: M Horan for Clohessy (27-34 mins) for Galwey (62-69 mins), M Mullins for Horgan (32 mins), M O'Driscoll for O'Connell (50 mins), Staunton for Kelly (73 mins).

Referee: A Lewis (IRFU).