Munster booked a return trip to the Lansdowne Road next weekend when they beat Ulster in their Celtic League semi-final today to set up another all-Ireland affair in the decider against Leinster.
In a game of few opportunities all the scoring came from the boots of rival outside-halves Ronan O'Gara and Ulster's David Humphreys, with O'Gara winning the battle five penalties to three.
It was no more than Munster deserved. They kept Ulster on the back foot for virtually the entire game and the pressure they inflicted paid off as Ulster repeatedly infringed.
O'Gara kicked the southerners into a 3-0 lead after six minutes and stretched their lead further on 18 minutes and though he missed another on the half-hour he soon got another chance two minutes after that before Humphreys got his first opportunity.
Humphreys got Ulster on the board with a 36th-minute penalty to bring the score to 9-3 but then turned villain a minute before half time when he deliberately tripped up Munster's Peter Stringer as he raced for the line.
The Ulster outside-half was lucky not to receive a yellow card and Ulster were further reprieved when O'Gara missed the subsequent penalty.
Humphreys closed the gap to 9-6 with the first penalty of the second half in the 44th minute but O'Gara responded within two minutes to restore the lead to six points.
Things got worse for the northerners in the 53rd minute when their hooker Paul Shields was sin-binned following an off the ball incident.
Munster soon made the numerical advantage tell, launching a great rolling maul. It advanced them to the Ulster five-metre line and forced another penalty as Ulster roamed off side, from which O'Gara stretched the lead to 15-6.
Ulster's hopes were ebbing away and when Humphreys missed a long-range 69th-minute penalty Munster were as good as through.
Ulster could not find a way past the Munster defence and although Humphreys sent over a penalty in injury time it was not enough to halt Munster's progress into the final.
PA