Good afternoon and welcome to our liveblog of the Guinness Pro12 clash between Ulster and Munster at Kingspan Stadium.
The northern province are in strong form under Les Kiss and will be confident of a home victory, while Anthony Foley’s Munster are looking to halt a five-game losing streak.
Kick-off in Belfast is 3pm.
There have been some late changes to the Munster XV due to injuries. Andrew Conway (bruised hip) and Dave Foley (dead leg) have both dropped out, meaning Gerhard van den Heever and Billy Holland start. Shane Buckley is promoted to the bench.
The Munster squad in full:
15. Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino
14. Ronan O’Mahony
13. Francis Saili
12. Rory Scannell
11. Gerhard van den Heever
10. Ian Keatley
9. Tomás O’Leary
1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Mike Sherry
3. BJ Botha
4. Billy Holland
5. Mark Chisholm
6. Jack O’Donoghue
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. CJ Stander (captain)
Replacements:
16. Niall Scannell
17. John Ryan
18. Mario Sagario
19. Shane Buckley
20. Robin Copeland
21. Duncan Williams
22. Tyler Bleyendaal
23. Denis Hurley
And the Ulster squad:
15. Louis Ludik
14. Andrew Trimble
13. Luke Marshall
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. Rory Scholes
10. Paddy Jackson
9. Ruan Pienaar
1. Kyle McCall
2. Rory Best (captain)
3. Wiehann Herbst
4. Loius Stevenson
5. Franco van der Merwe
6. Robbie Diack
7. Chris Henry
8. Nick Williams
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring
17. Callum Black
18. Ricky Lutton
19. Alan O’Connor
20. Roger Wilson
21. Paul Marshall
22. Ian Humphreys
23. Sam Arnold
Where do you see the game being won and lost this afternoon?
Paddy Jackson has been in superb form for Ulster at out-half, directing their attacking play intelligently with his strong passing game. Ian Keatley’s struggles for Munster in recent times have been well documented, but he returns to the 10 shirt today.
Munster aiming to avoid the worst losing streak in their professional existence here. The southern province haven’t lost more than five in a row before, but Ulster will be confident of earning another win.
How do you see it going today?
Munster scrum coach Jerry Flannery has been speaking to Sky Sports:
“We’ve no other choice but to try and work our way out of this,” he says of the losing streak. “We’ve got to show a lot of character today and, particularly with the ball, we have to show more accuracy.
“We’re going to use our scrum and maul a lot today.”
Andrew Trimble leads Ulster onto the pitch for his 200th cap. Amazing achievement, what a servant he has been for the northern province. Will we see him in a green jersey again in February?
The action is underway at Kingspan!
Munster go through 11 phases on the edge of the Ulster 22, but no penetration aside from a Rory Scannell dart. Herbst wins a turnover for the home side.
Oh! Stuart McCloskey makes a half break after stepping back inside off his left foot. Attempts to offload to Rory Scholes, who ran a great trailing line, but the ball is spilled forward by the Ulster wing. A sharp reminder of McCloskey’s class there.
Munster sticking with their wide patterns despite the poor weather conditions. That attempt to go down the touchline sees Andrew Trimble hammering Ronan O’Mahony into touch!
Penalty to Munster in a kickable position after Nick Williams fails to release post-tackle. The attacking pressure came from an excellent Jack O’Donoghue lineout steal!
PENALTY! Ulster 0-3 Munster (Keatley ’9)
He nails it from the right-hand side of the posts.
Munster have dominated the territory and possession so far in Kingspan Stadium. Seems to be a repeated trait of their games recently, that early dominance. Keatley’s three points important for himself and his team.
Ulster’s backline get a chance to run and they win an excellent position in Munster’s 22 after Rory Scholes grubbered ahead. Lovely handling from McCloskey to help the ball wide, sharp stuff from Ulster.
But Ulster waste the good field position. They’re in the side of the ruck as they pressure Munster from five metres out. Bit of handbags now and the captains are being called in by the referee.
Some great breakdown work from Jack O’Donoghue drew that penalty for Munster. He jackaled superbly.
Gary Conway, the referee, is having a look at the exchange between Pienaar and Mike Sherry there. Nothing in it.
Another Ulster attack comes up empty-handed. Pienaar peels around the back of a lineout in the Munster 22, but loses the ball in Billy Holland’s tackle.
CJ Stander looks to be in some pain. Getting treatment on the pitch now, but he is back on his feet but will be temporarily replaced by Robin Copeland as a blood sub.
Brilliant break from Scannell for Munster! Trimble does superbly in defence to track back and halt him.
Lovely footwork and dart of pace from Scannell to break near the halfway line after Nick Williams gave up possession. But the work rate and physical impact of Trimble was superb to cover back and stop the Munster midfielder.
He even got a foot into the breakdown as he was cleared out to help Ulster turn the ball over again. Excellent.
Ulster threaten again, but they lose the pill close to Munster’s tryline once again! Best’s turnover penalty provided the chance to kick into the Munster 22, then Nick Williams offloaded to nearly send Luke Marshall over.
Munster keep their cool and get in to force the handling error again though.
TRY! Ulster 5-3 Munster (Ludik ’24)
A period of massive Ulster pressure ends with fullback Ludik darting over after taking a really clever line off Ruan Pienaar close to the ruck!
CONVERSION! Ulster 7-3 Munster (Jackson ’26)
A controversial score from Ulster there, if truth is told. About five phases before the try itself, Pienaar accidentally kicked the ball forward in a ruck and one of his Chris Henry picked it up from an offside position.
Munster not happy, and tried to appeal to referee Conway, but he didn’t have a look with the TMO.
Anthony Foley is going to be furious over that refereeing error. He’s been openly critical of referees in the recent past and there’s genuine ammunition in that try.
After their strong opening to this game, Munster have been camped inside their defensive third of the pitch for the last 15 minutes or so. They’re having real trouble making a meaningful exit.
Munster finally get out of their own half and make it stick. They kick back at Ulster through Ian Keatley’s bomb, and then Rory Scholes comes in the side of the subsequent ruck. Keatley kicks the penalty to touch five metres from Ulster’s tryline!
Ricky Lutton is on for the injured Herbst.
Brilliant work from McCloskey! He earns the turnover for Ulster with a huge choke tackle underneath their posts. Brilliant work from the centre, who has been impressive yet again today.
He is more than good enough to feature for Ireland in the Six Nations.
Mike Sherry’s lineout throw is crooked after Ulster clear their lines and Munster are denied a final attacking platform in this first half.
HALF TIME! Ulster 7-3 Munster
A lucky try has Ulster in the lead at Kingspan Stadium. Munster likely to be furious about that score, but it’s evenly-balanced game.
Munster’s flankers have been outstanding so far. Tommy O’Donnell’s return has been a major boost and Jack O’Donoghue is having a brilliant game at blindside flanker.
We’re back underway at the Kingspan!
Strong start to the second half from Ulster with some clever kicking and chasing, as well as a nice break from Rory Scholes.
Ulster win another Munster lineout and are beginning to show some signs of dominance in that area. Conditions haven’t helped at all.
Ulster almost manufacture a clever linebreak from a lovely set-piece move, but with the gap opening for Luke Marshall, the ball goes to ground again! Munster manage to clear the ball as it’s turned over.
Superb aerial win for Andrew Trimble over Ronan O’Mahony after a Pienaar box kick, but then Ulster lack ruck security and Sherry pounces on the loose ball. Keatley follows that up with another gorgeous kick deep behind Ulster.
Munster back on the attack now…
… but O’Mahony spills the ball as Munster go wide. Some excellent counter-attack from Amorosino and van der Heever in that passage. They create the overlap and shift it wide to the left, but O’Mahony knocks on!
Ulster’s turn to threaten! They break from deep and give Scholes space out on the left to spin out of a couple of tackles. McCloskey carries well on the next phase, but then Diack goes off his feet at the ruck.
Both sides doing lots of good things in attack, but those little errors killing them.
Referee Gary Conway consulting his TMO on a possible dangerous tackle by Nick Williams on Dave Kilcoyne. Doesn’t look like there’s much in it and Conway plays on.
Munster break out of their 22 through O’Mahony after McCloskey’s block down bounces back into Munster hands! O’Mahony feeds Saili and the Kiwi should surely pass inside again to Scannell but hangs onto the ball and gets dragged down.
Some poor passing from O’Leary then saps the momentum and the opportunity is gone.
Young Sammy Arnold is on for Ulster now.
That’s poor from Roger Wilson, who’s just come on in the last few minutes. Ulster build towards an exiting kick, but the back row knocks on Pienaar’s pass and Munster will have a really good attacking platform at the scrum.
Turnover! Good carries from Stander and JOD off the scrum, but then McCloskey and Alan O’Connor combine for a superb choke tackle on Sherry.
Tommy O’Donnell replaced by Robin Copeland. He’s had an excellent game after recovering from that horrific hip injury.
Drop goal! Ulster 7-6 Munster (Keatley ’58)
That’s better from Munster. They turned over the scrum, then carried tight after Scannell was hit hard in midfield. Keatley drops back into the pocket as the momentum slows and slots the drop goal. Excellent from the out-half.
Ulster have faded in this second half and Munster are sensing their opportunity. Denis Hurley comes on for the injured Scannell, with Duncan Williams replacing O’Leary at scrum-half.
Munster really turning on the pressure! They draw a maul penalty on the 22-metre line and Keatley will have a shot at goal from wide on the right…
Penalty! Ulster 7-9 Munster (Keatley ’61)
Brilliant strike to send Munster in front!
Serious composure from Keatley today after being left out by Munster last weekend. Has taken a huge amount of criticism in the last couple of months, but looks very relaxed in Belfast.
Ulster now with an attacking chance in the Munster 22 after two errors from the visitors. Scrum platform here…
And the penalty comes at the scrum as Munster and BJ Botha are pinged for collapsing! Ulster opt to kick at the posts from wide out on the left, almost the opposite kick to the one Keatley was successful with for the lead.
Paddy Jackson…
… is JUST short!!
It looked like that was heading over but it just glanced the crossbar and went underneath! So close for Jackson. Saili just about reacted to claim the ball under the sticks after initially dropping it backwards!
Mark Chisholm getting treated after a nasty fall from the top of his lineout jump.
Pienaar looking to build the tempo now for Ulster with a quick-tap penalty but then Munster force the turnover. Nervous 10 minutes ahead!
Some of Ian Keatley’s kicking from hand today has been excellent. Another beauty there as Munster continue to kick deep every time they get the ball. They’re looking to keep Ulster pinned back as much as possible.
Less than eight minutes remaining in Belfast. Can Munster see this out for a massive win?
Ulster attempting to play their way out of their own 22. Paul Marshall darts off on a quick-tap penalty…
Ulster still inside their own half though.
Some sloppy passing from Jackson now as Ulster look massively fatigued. Ulster now back inside their 22, but still have possession.
Jackson attempts to chip and gather, but Duncan Williams is there to gather for Munster!
Munster in possession now on the Ulster 22.
Penalty to Ulster! Billy Holland pinged for not releasing. Ulster kick up the touchline, Jackson misses the line. But Amorosino knocks on and Ulster are awarded a penalty!!
Madness, Amorosino knocks on as he tries to keep the ball in and van der Heever gathers.
Jackson now to go for goal…
He’s MISSED it!
Keatley misses touch now with the clearance. Ulster attack!
FULL TIME! Ulster 7-9 Munster!
Munster end the losing streak! McCloskey ended up getting choke tackled at the very death there, Hurley helping to hold him up.
Massive, massive win for Munster. Anthony Foley will feel huge relief. What about Ian Keatley’s performance? Superb from the under-fire out-half. He gets the man of the match award.
Munster’s defensive grit and work rate got them through in the end. Ulster look a little shocked and Munster clearly delighted.
That’s all we have time for on the liveblog, so thanks for joining is. Is that the start of the Munster turnaround after a tough few weeks?
