Ulster survive Munster’s second-half onslaught to win for the first time in Limerick since 2014

Munster 14 Ulster 15

Ulster won for the first time in Limerick since 2014, the result superseding ancillary considerations contained in the patchy nature of their performance. The elements had a significant impact, Ulster, favoured by the wind first, dominated the opening 40 minutes, Munster largely on top after the restart.

The visitors just about survived, three unconverted tries in the first half providing a buffer, as their hosts clawed their way back through three Jack Crowley penalties and a try from Shane Daly; Munster denied the win when the outhalf’s difficult conversion came back off an upright.

These two teams are in different stages of their development and there was a great deal to admire in the way Munster never dropped their heads, nor did the retreat into the sanctuary of a limited game plan. They shaded many areas of this contest, a fact acknowledged by Ulster head coach Dan McFarland afterwards, but for one that ultimately counted, the scoreboard.

They adhered to the new patterns, all the time trying to play. John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen and Edwin Edogbo had super games, Jack O’Donoghue and Diarmuid Barron too. Mike Haley was impressive on his return from injury while most of what Crowley tried was laudable.

With Ulster’s edge in experience, international players like Duane Vermeulen, man of the match Marty Moore and James Hume came up with some big plays, while others like David McCann, Tom Stewart, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy and Ben Moxham demonstrated quality in an attacking capacity.

Ulster scored three set-piece tries while Munster made two defiant goal-line stands to deny their visitors a bonus point. The home side will rue indiscipline and basic mistakes that handed Ulster access to their 22.

Ulster took the lead on three minutes. Munster conceded two penalties, which cost them 65 metres and ultimately a try, Jordi Murphy steering a well-crafted maul over the line. Nathan Doak missed the conversion.

A shemozzle enlivened the crowd on eight minutes. Ulster number eight Vermeulen and Barron got into a tussle on the ground following the Munster hooker’s clearout at a ruck. The South African reacted by pulling at Barron’s face and this led to a protracted bout of holding that eventually attracted other players and stopped the game.

The upshot following the intervention of the television match official Tom Foley was a lecture for Vermeulen and a penalty to Munster, which Crowley kicked.

Munster’s discipline was an issue, once again shortly afterwards conceding a brace of penalties, the first for offside, the second for an early drive at a lineout maul which pre-empted a second Ulster try.

The source as with the first score was a lineout maul, the try scorer different, hooker Tom Stewart breaking off the back and using his footwork and strength to force his way over the line. Doak missed the difficult conversion.

Ulster were soon back into the Munster 22 but this time Edogbo did superbly to force a penalty turnover at a ruck 10 metres from the home side’s line. A fine break by Barron took Munster to the threshold of the Ulster 22 and then when the visitors transgressed at a ruck, Crowley fired the penalty into the corner but losing the ensuing lineout negated the gamble. It would prove a recurring flaw.

Munster should have scored their first try on 26 minutes if Daly had looked inside to a couple of supporting team-mates. Instead he opted to take the last tackle, the error compounded by Malakai Fekitoa diving off his feet at the ruck that ensued.

The build-up play certainly merited a score, Munster’s attacking shape excellent in patiently working both sides of the pitch to carve out the chance. Caught offside in midfield, the home side soon found themselves defending a five-metre lineout but survived this time, after David McCann had touched down initially, when the TMO alerted Frank Murphy to a knock-on by Nathan Doak in the build-up.

The evening might have got considerably worse from a Munster perspective, centre Fekitoa very, very fortunate to receive a yellow rather than red card for a shoulder to the face of McCann in a tackle; how it was mitigated down is difficult to fathom.

Ulster did exact some form of punishment, scoring a third try, this time through centre James Hume following a softening up process from the pack. Doak failed to convert once again but Ulster would have been largely satisfied with the opening 40-minutes.

The visitors replaced Doak and Luke Marshall within three minutes of the restart – Rory Sutherland was a half-time replacement for Andy Warwick – with John Cooney and Angus Curtis. The rain which arrived with gusto, blowing into the faces of the visitors, seemed to have a galvanising effect on the home side. Munster used the elements intelligently and squeezed a couple of kickable penalties which Crowley landed to nudge his side to within six points at 15-9.

Ulster might have grabbed a fourth try on 57 minutes but hooker Stewart, who had an excellent game in the loose, spilt Cooney’s low pass five metres from the Munster line following a big carry from the excellent Rory Sutherland.

Ulster’s post-interval indiscipline began to catch up with them, losing Cormac Izuchukwu to a yellow card and then after the home side elected to kick a penalty to the corner, Simon Zebo, working around from the blindside wing, provided Daly with the try-scoring pass.

Crowley’s difficult conversion came back off an upright; Munster had the momentum, but it was Ulster who engineered a chance to grab the game’s pivotal score on 72 minutes. A comedy of errors handed Ulster a penalty five metres from the line but having kicked to the corner Izuchukwu lost his tussle for possession with Cian Hurley at the front of the lineout and the home side cleared the present danger.

Ulster soon returned to the Munster 22 facilitated by a couple of penalties, turning down three points in chasing the bonus-point try. Once again, the home side thwarted them, by defending the maul, winning a scrum turnover as it went to ground.

A free kick and a penalty gave Munster field position for one last hurrah, but it was not to be as Ulster forced a ruck infringement. Murphy gave the penalty and Billy Burns hoofed the ball into the stand.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 3 mins: Murphy try, 0-5; 9: Crowley pen, 3-5; 13: Stewart try, 3-10; 40 (+1): Hume try, 3-15. Half-time: 3-15. 47: Crowley pen, 6-15; 53: Crowley pen, 9-15; 65: Daly try, 14-15.

MUNSTER: M Haley; S Daly, M Fekitoa, R Scannell, P Campbell; J Crowley, P Patterson; D Kilcoyne, D Barron, J Ryan; E Edogbo, E O’Connor; J O’Donoghue (capt), J Hodnett, A Kendellen.

Replacements: C Hurley for O’Connor (50 mins); N Scannell for Barron, J Wycherley for Kilcoyne, R Salanoa for Ryan {all 59); S Zebo for Campbell (60); Barron for N Scannell (HIA), N Cronin for Patterson (both 69).

ULSTER: S Moore; B Moxham, J Hume, L Marshall, E McIlroy; B Burns, N Doak; A Warwick, T Stewart, M Moore; A O’Connor (capt), S Carter; D McCann, J Murphy, D Vermeulen.

Replacements: R Sutherland for Warwick (half-time); A Curtis for Marshall (41 mins); J Cooney for Doak (43); Matty Rea for McCann (52); C Izuchukwu for Carter (53); J Andrew for Stewart (59).

Referee: F Murphy (Ireland)

Yellow card: M Fekitoa (Munster) 38 mins; C Izuchukwu (Ulster) 62 mins.