AT HALF-TIME THE first interpro derby of the season had all been one-way traffic, but Ulster’s second-half fightback teed up a tense ending in Belfast, with Stuart McCloskey’s late converted try levelling the game with just over two minutes to play.
It was a remarkable turnaround given Ulster’s dreadful start at the Affidea Stadium. At half-time they trailed 26-5, but from that position Munster failed to kick on, not registering a single score in the second period as the hosts somehow secured a draw.
Munster will wonder how they didn’t hold out to win, while Ulster will rue their error-ridden first-half performance as both sides left with three match points.
Both sides scored four tries in a game that swayed wildly, Munster dominating the first 40 before spending most of the second camped in their own half.
Clayton McMillan had heavily rotated his side from last weekend’s win over the Bulls, and the province were forced into three further changes before kick-off with Shane Daly, Diarmuid Barron and Tom Ahern all dropping out of the 23. Shay McCarthy replaced Daly in the Munster backline, with Max Clein and Michael Foy coming onto the bench. Foy, 20, was set to make his Munster debut with Clein featuring in the URC for the first time – having played against Argentina XV last season.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to expose some concerning Ulster weak points. In the opening minutes, Munster drove Ulster back at scrum-time, before following up with another dominant shove.
Munster's Shane Daly with Ethan McIlroy of Ulster. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
All the early pressure was Munster’s, and Ulster’s poor discipline and handling was opening up opportunities for McMillan’s men – Craig Casey going close, denied by Ulster duo Tom Stewart and Stuart McCloskey.
The play went back for an earlier Munster penalty. The lineout was won by Tadhg Beirne, and the Munster maul bulldozed through, Alex Kendellen getting the ball down, before JJ Hanrahan sliced his conversion wide.
What followed will have deeply frustrated McMillan. Following a knock-on from the restart, Ulster attacked off the scrum and moved the ball with to Jacob Stockdale, through the hands of fullback Ethan McIlroy. Stockdale had plenty to do but skipped past Ben O’Connor before Hanrahan slipped off the second tackle. It was vintage Stockdale, on his 150th cap, but poor Munster defence. Jack Murphy failed to add the extras from wide.
Ulster's Jacob Stockdale scores his sides first try. Dan Clohessy
Dan Clohessy
A setback for Munster, but they had looked the sharper side and started to assert their dominance. Another lineout saw Munster add their second, Ulster’s maul D folding as hooker Marnus van der Merwe went through, with Hanrahan converting.
Ulster’s handling continued to let them down, Munster’s scrum continued to deliver.
Just past the half hour, Ulster went down to 14 men, Cormac Izuchukwu sent to the line for a shoulder to the head of Gavin Coombes.
Playing with a man advantage, Munster began to find pockets of space, Dan Kelly slicing through on a beautiful line after smart play from Hanrahan, who added the conversion.
The home side’s error count continued to rise. Alex Kendellen drove a low kick into the Ulster half, Stockdale was hesitant to deal with it, and Munster claimed the 50:22.
Munster's Craig Casey with Nathan Doak of Ulster. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
Ulster saw out the end of the half defending deep in their 22, Munster adding the bonus-point try just before the break – another maul building the platform before Kendellen sniped from close, with Hanrahan’s conversion whacking the crossbar on its way over, the visitors 21 points clear after a dominant first period.
There were some boos from the home support as the two sides went in, but Ulster looked more threatening after the break, piecing together some moments of promise as passes started to stick.
Advertisement
Eventually, they pierced the hole. Robert Baloucoune, starved of possession in the first 40, linked with Nick Timoney and Tom O’Toole before breaking for the line. Jeremy Loughman’s tackle threatened to stop the Ireland wing short but he was alert to feed Stockdale, who went over for his second try, as Murphy knocked over his second conversion.
A penalty for a shoulder charge off the ball handed Ulster a prime opportunity to cut the deficit even further just before the hour, but Munster stole the lineout to squash the danger, Evan O’Connell rising highest to get his hand in.
Ulster's Tom Stewart and Munster's Tadhg Beirne speak to Referee Craig Evans. Dan Clohessy
Dan Clohessy
The visitors were now spending very little time in the Ulster half. A well-executed chip from Jamie Benson pinned Munster back, and a crooked throw at the lineout gave Ulster the scrum. Attacking at the base of the post, Ulster carried hard before David McCann went over. Murphy’s conversion made it a seven-point game heading into the final 10 minutes.
Munster soon had a chance to extend their cushion, as Charlie O’Shea, just in for Hanrahan, stood over a penalty on halfway. The 20-year-old had to somewhat rush his effort after needing to replace the ball on the tee, before his kick dropped well short. A scramble ensued, Munster won a penalty, before Ulster forced a timely scrum penalty.
Ulster pushed back down the pitch, McCann leading the charge. Camped under their posts, Munster were holding the home side out, before Ulster moved the ball wide where McCloskey was on hand to cross. Murphy converted to level the game with less than three minutes to play.
The home support dreamed of a stunning win. When Ulster stole a Munster lineout, momentarily, the dream was on. The ball moved wide, Baloucoune broke at speed, but when his pass inside didn’t connect, Alex Nankivell was happy to kill the game.
A game Munster somehow let slip, and one Ulster somehow managed to salvage something from.
Ulster scorers:
Try – Stockdale [2], McCann, McCloskey.
Conversion – Murphy [4/4]
Munster scorers:
Try – Kendellen [2], Van der Merwe, Kelly
Penalty – O’Shea [0/1]
Conversion – Hanrahan [3/4]
ULSTER: Ethan McIlroy; Robert Baloucoune, Jamie Benson, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak (Matthew Devine, 49); Eric O’Sullivan (Tom O’Toole, HT), Tom Stewart (capt), Keynan Knox (Tom McAllister,, HT); Ben Donnell, Eli Snyman (David McCann, 18); Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Juarno Augustus (James McNabney, HT).
Yellow card: Izuchukwu 29
MUNSTER: Ben O’Connor; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; JJ Hanrahan (Charlie O’Shea, 69), Craig Casey (Ben O’Donovan, 72); Jeremy Loughman (Josh Wycherley, 65), Marnus van der Merwe (Max Clein, 65), Kieran Brookes (Jack Aungier, 50); Evan O’Connell (Michael Foy, 60), Tadhg Beirne (capt); Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen (John Hodnett, 53), Gavin Coombes (Brian Gleeson, 50).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
15 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Munster let 21-point lead slip as Ulster claim dramatic late draw in Belfast
Ulster 26
Munster 26
AT HALF-TIME THE first interpro derby of the season had all been one-way traffic, but Ulster’s second-half fightback teed up a tense ending in Belfast, with Stuart McCloskey’s late converted try levelling the game with just over two minutes to play.
It was a remarkable turnaround given Ulster’s dreadful start at the Affidea Stadium. At half-time they trailed 26-5, but from that position Munster failed to kick on, not registering a single score in the second period as the hosts somehow secured a draw.
Munster will wonder how they didn’t hold out to win, while Ulster will rue their error-ridden first-half performance as both sides left with three match points.
Both sides scored four tries in a game that swayed wildly, Munster dominating the first 40 before spending most of the second camped in their own half.
Clayton McMillan had heavily rotated his side from last weekend’s win over the Bulls, and the province were forced into three further changes before kick-off with Shane Daly, Diarmuid Barron and Tom Ahern all dropping out of the 23. Shay McCarthy replaced Daly in the Munster backline, with Max Clein and Michael Foy coming onto the bench. Foy, 20, was set to make his Munster debut with Clein featuring in the URC for the first time – having played against Argentina XV last season.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to expose some concerning Ulster weak points. In the opening minutes, Munster drove Ulster back at scrum-time, before following up with another dominant shove.
All the early pressure was Munster’s, and Ulster’s poor discipline and handling was opening up opportunities for McMillan’s men – Craig Casey going close, denied by Ulster duo Tom Stewart and Stuart McCloskey.
The play went back for an earlier Munster penalty. The lineout was won by Tadhg Beirne, and the Munster maul bulldozed through, Alex Kendellen getting the ball down, before JJ Hanrahan sliced his conversion wide.
What followed will have deeply frustrated McMillan. Following a knock-on from the restart, Ulster attacked off the scrum and moved the ball with to Jacob Stockdale, through the hands of fullback Ethan McIlroy. Stockdale had plenty to do but skipped past Ben O’Connor before Hanrahan slipped off the second tackle. It was vintage Stockdale, on his 150th cap, but poor Munster defence. Jack Murphy failed to add the extras from wide.
A setback for Munster, but they had looked the sharper side and started to assert their dominance. Another lineout saw Munster add their second, Ulster’s maul D folding as hooker Marnus van der Merwe went through, with Hanrahan converting.
Ulster’s handling continued to let them down, Munster’s scrum continued to deliver.
Just past the half hour, Ulster went down to 14 men, Cormac Izuchukwu sent to the line for a shoulder to the head of Gavin Coombes.
Playing with a man advantage, Munster began to find pockets of space, Dan Kelly slicing through on a beautiful line after smart play from Hanrahan, who added the conversion.
The home side’s error count continued to rise. Alex Kendellen drove a low kick into the Ulster half, Stockdale was hesitant to deal with it, and Munster claimed the 50:22.
Ulster saw out the end of the half defending deep in their 22, Munster adding the bonus-point try just before the break – another maul building the platform before Kendellen sniped from close, with Hanrahan’s conversion whacking the crossbar on its way over, the visitors 21 points clear after a dominant first period.
There were some boos from the home support as the two sides went in, but Ulster looked more threatening after the break, piecing together some moments of promise as passes started to stick.
Eventually, they pierced the hole. Robert Baloucoune, starved of possession in the first 40, linked with Nick Timoney and Tom O’Toole before breaking for the line. Jeremy Loughman’s tackle threatened to stop the Ireland wing short but he was alert to feed Stockdale, who went over for his second try, as Murphy knocked over his second conversion.
A penalty for a shoulder charge off the ball handed Ulster a prime opportunity to cut the deficit even further just before the hour, but Munster stole the lineout to squash the danger, Evan O’Connell rising highest to get his hand in.
The visitors were now spending very little time in the Ulster half. A well-executed chip from Jamie Benson pinned Munster back, and a crooked throw at the lineout gave Ulster the scrum. Attacking at the base of the post, Ulster carried hard before David McCann went over. Murphy’s conversion made it a seven-point game heading into the final 10 minutes.
Munster soon had a chance to extend their cushion, as Charlie O’Shea, just in for Hanrahan, stood over a penalty on halfway. The 20-year-old had to somewhat rush his effort after needing to replace the ball on the tee, before his kick dropped well short. A scramble ensued, Munster won a penalty, before Ulster forced a timely scrum penalty.
Ulster pushed back down the pitch, McCann leading the charge. Camped under their posts, Munster were holding the home side out, before Ulster moved the ball wide where McCloskey was on hand to cross. Murphy converted to level the game with less than three minutes to play.
The home support dreamed of a stunning win. When Ulster stole a Munster lineout, momentarily, the dream was on. The ball moved wide, Baloucoune broke at speed, but when his pass inside didn’t connect, Alex Nankivell was happy to kill the game.
A game Munster somehow let slip, and one Ulster somehow managed to salvage something from.
Ulster scorers:
Try – Stockdale [2], McCann, McCloskey.
Conversion – Murphy [4/4]
Munster scorers:
Try – Kendellen [2], Van der Merwe, Kelly
Penalty – O’Shea [0/1]
Conversion – Hanrahan [3/4]
ULSTER: Ethan McIlroy; Robert Baloucoune, Jamie Benson, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak (Matthew Devine, 49); Eric O’Sullivan (Tom O’Toole, HT), Tom Stewart (capt), Keynan Knox (Tom McAllister,, HT); Ben Donnell, Eli Snyman (David McCann, 18); Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Juarno Augustus (James McNabney, HT).
Yellow card: Izuchukwu 29
MUNSTER: Ben O’Connor; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; JJ Hanrahan (Charlie O’Shea, 69), Craig Casey (Ben O’Donovan, 72); Jeremy Loughman (Josh Wycherley, 65), Marnus van der Merwe (Max Clein, 65), Kieran Brookes (Jack Aungier, 50); Evan O’Connell (Michael Foy, 60), Tadhg Beirne (capt); Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen (John Hodnett, 53), Gavin Coombes (Brian Gleeson, 50).
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
interpro Munster Rugby Ulster URC