URC, round five: Munster 17 Connacht 15
Munster snatched a win against Connacht at Thomond Park to preserve their winning streak in the United Rugby Championship.
In the end it was deserved, but not without some anxious moments against an urgent Connacht side that led the match 12-15 at half-time after three first-half tries.
But two tries from captain Jack O’Donoghue and a breakaway from Diarmuid Kilgallen with a conversion from JJ Hanrahan was enough to edge out the visitors.
Munster’s first chance came when they kicked the ball deep from their own half. Finn Treacy picked it up cleanly chasing back, but his pass to fullback Harry West went over his head causing a hectic defensive scramble. A Munster infringement at the breakdown on the Connacht try line relieved the early pressure.
RM Block
Munster’s opening came on 15 minutes with the lively Dan Kelly breaking the gain line enough to give Munster the extra man near the right touchline.
With O’Donoghue racing outside in support, the simplest pass put the Munster captain in for their first try.
But that didn’t dim Connacht’s ambition. Within five minutes Byron Ralston cruised through a wall of Munster bodies to take on a popped ball in the Munster 22 and the sides were level.
Munster coach Clayton McMillan made seven changes from last week’s Leinster beating side, with Stuart Lancaster making nine changes to his Connacht side which lost 28-27 at home to the Bulls.
But it was the westerners who were showing the cutting edge, and just before the half-hour Sam Illo bumped off a few Munster bodies drawing in the defensive line. A long pass wide and Ralston again was there to run in unchallenged for Connacht to take the lead.
Sensing blood, they were pressing again within five minutes. But a short pass from Josh Ioane found Diarmuid Kilgallen stepping up. The Munster winger ran almost the length of the pitch, with JJ Hanrahan converting for Munster to again go ahead 12-10.
In a try-filled first half there was time for one more, with referee Andrea Piardi drawing the ire of the Munster crowd five minutes into injury time. Initially he indicated a held-up ball before giving Paul Boyle the try as Connacht closed the busy half three points in front.
The visitors were desperately unfortunate to lose two-try Ralston just minutes after the restart with the match stopped for several minutes as he received attention from medics.
After that, it was Munster pressing forward with most of the game played in the Connacht half. The visitors bravely put bodies on the line and began switching in and out players, backs and forwards, on the hour.
Desperate to follow up on their Croke Park display with a home win, Munster began to squeeze harder in the final quarter and at the 68th minute were throwing bodies at the Connacht line.
Phase after phase hammered in until finally O’Donoghue found the strength to force himself over for his second try of the match for 17-15, Tony Butler missing the conversion.
By then Munster were the dominant force. Although Connacht gamely kept competing, the hosts sensibly played the game outside of their danger zone, relieved when the final whistle brought the game to an end.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 15 MINS: O’Donoghue try 5-0; 20: Ralston try 5-5; 28: Ralston try 5-10; 33: Kilgallen try, Hanrahan con 12-10; 42: Boyle try 12-15; Half-time 12-15; 68: O’Donoghue try 17-15
MUNSTER: S Daly; D Kilgallen, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, E Coughlan; M Milne, L Barron, J Ryan; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements: S McCarthy for Abrahams (16 mins), R Quinn for Hodnett (47), J Loughman for Milne (56), N Scannell for Barron (56-65), E O’Connell for Wycherley (59), J O’Riordan for Coughlan, T Butler for Hanrahan (both 63), R Foxe for Ryan (65), Hanrahan for Nankivell (79).
CONNACHT: H West; B Ralston, H Gavin, C Forde, F Treacy; J Ioane, B Murphy; J Duggan, D Heffernan, S Illo; J Joyce, D Murray; J Murphy, P Boyle, S Jansen.
Replacements: S Naughton for Treacy (10 mins), N Murray for Joyce (34), S O’Brien for Jansen (41), M Devine for Ralston (43), P Dooley for Duggan, F Barrett for Illo (both 50), D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan (63).
Referee: A Piardi (ITA).
