Munster 13, Connacht 0:Fairness is rarely a given in professional sport, as Connacht discovered in this Magners Celtic League match at Thomond Park yesterday. For large passages they produced excellent rugby but crucially couldn't translate that to the scoreboard.
Munster's greater cutting edge allowed them to eke out a win that owed more to unyielding defence than to any great attacking gambits.
The catalyst for their victory was Trevor Halstead's introduction after eight minutes for the injured (not too severely) Barry Murphy as the South African's direct running led to two of the three scores.
Connacht suffered injuries of their own in a match that would eventually see uncontested scrums after Ray Hogan and Stephen Knoop both departed hurt.
The Westerners should take plenty of encouragement from this effort, even though Munster closed the gap between the sides in the league table to a single point. Connacht just need to take the next step, the one that crosses the fine line between performance and tangible reward.
The scoreline suggests the opening 40 minutes was a turgid affair, but it was far from that, though the enterprise demonstrated by both teams was routinely undermined by a lack of accuracy.
It wasn't always attributable to the conditions, rather an occasional lack of composure in possession.
Connacht probably edged the line breaks during this period, number eight Colm Rigney twice outfoxing Munster's fringe defence to make significant yardage, while outhalf Mark McHugh, also benefited from a show-and-go to create a hole to scamper through.
On each occasion the move petered out because the support was tardy in arriving; slow ball ensued and the thin red line of defenders had been reinforced as Connacht scrumhalf Chris Keane attempted to set his side in motion again.
Keane's penchant for a taking a look and a step didn't help.
Nor did some wayward passing that invariably caused the intended recipient to check in order to secure the ball.
Yet there was much to admire about Connacht's attitude. The pack worked hard, shading the scrums, and, despite coughing up the ball on three occasions in the lineout, earned as many turnovers, mainly though Andrew Farley, as Munster.
The backs looked to use the full width of the pitch - Daniel Riordan caused one or two problems - or else kicked judiciously, using the wind to gain ground.
A training injury to Mick O'Driscoll that will keep him out until the New Year meant Paul O'Connell started the match, also taking over the Munster captaincy.
Munster looked to take ball around the fringes and offload in the tackle, trying to suck in defenders before releasing to allow Ronan O'Gara to probe for gaps farther out.
They accomplished this to some effect, but sometimes the midfield became cluttered with too many forwards and passes were spilled, the intended receiver not always clear.
Still the fare was engaging, the honesty and enterprise appreciated by the hearty crowd.
Munster book-ended a decent opening half with a couple of O'Gara penalties, the first awarded by referee Donal Courtney for some backchat at a lineout, the second given in injury time following a meaty charge by replacement centre Halstead.
Connacht quickly disabused their hosts of the notion that playing into the wind was going to temper their enthusiasm as they resumed in impressive fashion.
Their continuity was excellent as they patiently recycled ball, working through the phases and frustrating Munster, whose difficulties were manifest in the concession of several penalties.
Three times McHugh - he missed one penalty in first-half injury time - elected to kick to touch in the corner but Munster's muscular, disciplined defence - abetted by an inadvertent block by referee Courtney as Keane worked a clever pivot from a scrum - held firm.
Connacht needed a score of some kind because they were never going to be able to sustain the pressure.
It was inevitable Munster would get a foothold in the match and O'Gara might have nudged his side into a nine-point lead but saw his well struck effort shave the wrong side of the upright.
The plaintive cries of an increasingly uneasy home support were answered on 71 minutes. Halstead chose a great line off O'Gara's pass, the backs getting quick ruck ball on the Connacht 22.
The South African barged through and although he was superbly tackled by the covering McPhillips, Christian Cullen, on his return to Munster colours, dived over unopposed.
O'Gara added the conversion and the outcome of the match had been determined, the sole question remaining the margin of victory.
SCORING SEQUENCE:15 mins: O'Gara pen 3-0; 40(+5): O'Gara pen 6-0 (half-time 6-0); 71: Cullen try, O'Gara con 13-0.
MUNSTER:C Cullen; J Kelly, B Murphy, L Mafi, A Horgan; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; D Hurley, F Sheahan, F Pucciariello; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt); A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: T Halstead for Murphy (8 mins), J Hayes for Hurley (half-time; T McGann for Wallace (47 mins), Hurley for Pucciariello (67 mins), P Stringer for Kelly (72 mins), A Kyriacou for Sheahan, C Wyatt for O'Connell, J Manning for O'Gara (all 81 mins).
CONNACHT:D Riordan; C McPhillips, P Warwick, K Matthews, D Yapp; M McHugh, C Keane; R Hogan, J Fogarty (capt), S Knoop; D Gannon, A Farley; J Muldoon, R Ofisa, C Rigney. Replacements: B Wilkinson for Hogan (19 mins), B O'Connor for Knoop (57 mins), R Strudwick for Gannon (62 mins), C O'Loughlin for Keane (65 mins), A Flavin for Fogarty (67 mins), J Hearty for Matthews, G Williams for McHugh (both 72 mins).
Referee:D Courtney (IRFU).
