Ulster 14 Munster 15
The New Year opened with an interprovincial clash that will hardly linger long in the memory for entertainment and quality but will probably be recalled for Ben Healy’s dramatic late contribution, which snatched the result for Munster just when it seemed that another defeat was coming their way.
After falling short to Leinster, this result is exactly what Graham Rowntree required, and to dig it out in Belfast was a huge morale boost while, for Ulster, a fourth loss in five games,was the last thing Dan McFarland needed to open 2023.
Ulster can only wonder at themselves having led 9-0 and then 14-5 only to surrender victory in the final seven minutes, the northern province wilting while Munster found a way to pull four points out of the fire.
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The first quarter was certainly not a thing of any beauty. Ulster had possession and field position but could do precious little with it while Munster, when they had the ball, tended to be profligate with their retention and handling.
You could sense Ulster weren’t exactly brimming with confidence as shortly after Robert Baloucoune nearly got away down the right wing from a Stuart McCloskey kick through only to be turned over, the home side won a penalty and immediately called for the tee instead of thinking about the corner.
John Cooney did the needful and from head-on with the posts, but from distance, the scrumhalf got Ulster moving forward.
Three minutes later and he was at it again, this time from closer range after James Hume had been taken out.
[ Ulster 14 Munster 15 (FT) - as it happenedOpens in new window ]
Cooney landed a third, again from distance, in the 24th minute when Jack O’Donoghue was pinged for being offside.
Nine points up Ulster were still unable to take complete control of proceedings though Munster were no better, the difference being they couldn’t gain access to the home side’s 22 or, indeed, have much in the way of play outside their own half.
An already stop-start affair was then halted for several minutes as Marty Moore was taken off in a medical cart, Gareth Milasinovich replacing him.
As things turned out this proved to be a momentum shifter. An immediate penalty from the scrum allowed Jack Crowley put Munster in the corner.
Another penalty quickly followed and then a third, with both resulting in tap and goes, and when a fourth penalty promptly arrived, Tom Stewart was binned for handling on the deck.
With Munster going for a scrum, Stewart Moore made way for John Andrew meaning that the visitors were a man up in the backline. Instead of using the space, Munster opted for route one and after some close-in drives from Alex Kendellen, Roman Salanoa, Antoine Frisch and others, Crowley was penalised for a neck roll on McCloskey and Ulster lifted the siege to bring a fairly dour first 40 minutes conclude with the 14-man home side leading 9-0.
Munster came out meaning business and the new half was only two minutes old when Gavin Coombes made a line break to nearly put Earls away. The red shirts came again, though, and with a penalty coming Paddy Patterson scuttled over.
Jack Crowley hit the post with the conversion attempt but Ulster had been sent a warning just as Stewart came back on from the sinbin to bring them back up to full complement.
This spurred Ulster into a reaction but putting penalties into the corner and trying to launch their maul or off-shoots from it led nowhere, either due to lost lineouts or poor execution of attacking plays.
Then, pretty much of out nothing, Ulster worked Baloucoune clear on the right with McCloskey’s huge pass hitting him in his stride and allowing the returning Ireland winger make the corner.
Nathan Doak’s tricky conversion didn’t make it but Ulster didn’t look unduly worried at 14-5 ahead.
Munster, though, had other notions. Healy’s 73rd minute penalty cut Ulster’s lead to six points but looked more like a bid at securing a losing bonus point for the visitors.
But as with the game in Connacht before Christmas, Ulster were on the back-foot for the remainder except this time they couldn’t stay in front.
Jack Crowley’s break put Munster deep in Ulster’s 22 – they nearly scored though Gavin Coombes couldn’t find Healy on his right – and they remained there, barrelling away at a tiring home defence and then, finally, Healy squeezed over near the sticks on 80 minutes.
The conversion was required though and Healy stepped up and delivered.
Ulster: S Moore; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; R Sutherland, T Stewart, M Moore; K Treadwell, I Henderson (capt), G Jones, S Reffell, D Vermeulen.
Replacements: J Andrew for Moore (34-44 mins) and Stewart (76 mins), E O’Sullivan for Sutherland (65 mins), G Milasinovich for Moore (29 mins), S Carter for Treadwell (62 mins), J Murphy for Jones (65 mins), N Doak for Cooney (62 mins), J Flannery for Burns (73 mins), E McIlroy for Stockdale (77 mins).
Yellow cards: Stewart (34-44 mins)
Munster: M Haley; S Daly, A Frisch, M Fekitoa, K Earls; J Crowley, P Patterson; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, R Salanoa; J Kleyn, K McDonald; J O’Donoghue (capt), A Kendellen, G Coombes.
Replacements: S Buckley for Scannell (69 mins), J Wycherley for Kilcoyne (65 mins), S Archer for Salanoa (69 mins), C Hurley unused, J O’Sullivan unused, C Murray for Patterson (56 mins), B Healy for Fekitoa (52 mins), P Campbell for Earls (63 mins).
Referee: A Brace (IRFU)
