WAY BACK IN 2018, in Dan McFarland’s first season in charge of Ulster, there was a trip to Thomond Park that ended up in the record books.
Munster won that night by 57 points. A combination of factors, Munster excellence combined with Ulster fatigue after travelling home from South Africa, contributed to their humiliation.
What’s half-forgotten is the youngsters who got a chance with Ulster that night: Michael Lowry, Angus Curtis, James Hume, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Matthew Rea, Nick Timoney.
Three of those are in the current Ireland squad – Hume was on a trip to New Zealand – all are key members of Ulster’s set-up now, Hume getting a try in tonight’s 15-14 victory, their first win in Limerick since 2014.
Reacting to the win McFarland said: “We are thrilled and the reason it is so hard to win there is because it is such a tough place to get a result in.
“It was a tight game. They could have taken it because they played very well.
“We had three chances (to get a bonus point) in the second half from five metres out and we messed them all up through things that we could control.
“It was important that our maul functioned today and that was the area we were dominant in. We certainly weren’t dominant with our attacking play. I thought Munster snuffed us out well there.
“They had a lot of young guys playing today and they were outstanding. We had to dig deep. I am proud of the effort we put in although there were bits of our game that were not pleasing. We gave away six penalties in a row. Still, the win was satisfying.”
It means they have now won five of their first six matches in this year’s URC, the one defeat coming at home to Leinster.
“The loss at home was really disappointing but the first win in South Africa (since the arrival of the Lions, Sharks, Stormers and Bulls into the URC) was pleasing as was this win here. There will be more tough fixtures to come.
“To come down here and pull of a win after a trip to South Africa, that’s pleasing. Back in 2018, we played the Cheetahs away and then came to Munster a week later and coughed up 60 points. So today was pleasing, absolutely it was.”
For Marty Moore, there was deep satisfaction. The prop played the entire 80 minutes and his international exile is over, after he was included in the Ireland A squad to play New Zealand this Friday. He was awarded the player of the match award.
Afterwards Moore told RTÉ: “It is amazing to get the win here. We made it a little difficult for ourselves against the wind in the first half and we knew that Munster were going to push us all the way.
“They did just that and credit to them. It is one of the really tougher places in world rugby to come and play in. I’ve been a pro 10 years and I’ve only won here two or three times in my whole career. This is definitely one to savour.”
Reacting to his side’s loss, Munster coach, Graham Rowntree, said: “I sound like a broken record at this stage – but I’m proud of the resilience and the fight shown by a young group. We’ve used 55 players so far this season which is unprecedented.
“It’s been a difficult week. Lots of moving parts. The real big bonus for me is the young men, sticking their heads up and they’re leading and pulling the group along.”
Rowntree decided not to introduce 18-year-old replacement, Evan O’Connell, who was on the bench.
He explained: “That’s the challenge for a coach, leaving a player on the bench when a game’s particularly tight, particularly in a forward pack. You don’t want a forward to come on, jump offside, do something silly in a set-piece.
“It’s a fine line, particularly for a young forward. It’s a fine line bringing that forward on in a tight game and I felt for Evan O’Connell at the end. I apologised but I said I stand by why I didn’t bring you on, and Ben Healy, tight games like that, it has to be the right decision.”
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